French and Portuguese officers patrol with Spanish National Police officers to better cater for tourists at Easter

As part of the 'European Police Stations' Project, guaranteed under the EU Prüm Treaty, officers from the French security forces will patrol alongside Spanish officers in major tourist areas in Madrid, while Portuguese officers will travel to the Torremolinos-Benalmádena Police Station to help Portuguese students travelling to these towns as part of their studies.

As in previous years and during the Easter holidays, French and Portuguese police officers in full uniform and carrying their regulation weapons will work with citizen protection teams in Spain to offer comprehensive services to French and Portuguese tourists in their own language. Within the framework of this collaboration, 31 Spanish National Police officers will travel to various police stations in Portugal and France to offer assistance to Spanish tourists at various times between the months of April and September.

Joint patrols in Madrid and Malaga

The French officers who have travelled to Spain are Spanish speakers and will provide their services at the Central Police Station in Madrid. Their duties will comprise uniformed foot or vehicle patrols in major tourist areas, helping the victims of crime, preventing unlawful conduct and providing assistance when people wish to file an official report. In turn, the officers from the Portuguese Segurança Pública are also Spanish speakers and have been working in Torremolinos and Benalmádena since 31 March to principally help Portuguese students travelling to these towns on study trips.

'European Police Stations' initiative since 2008

The goal of this initiative is to offer tourists a comprehensive citizen protection support from police officers who speak their own language and know the legal procedures in both countries. The joint patrols also represent another step in international police collaboration and cooperation, foster improved services to the public and allow the concept of cross-border security to be consolidated.

The Spanish National Police has been involved in the 'European Police Stations' initiative since 2008; an initiative that is also being supported by officers from other European countries, such as Italy, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. On this occasion, 31 Spanish National Police officers will travel to police stations in Portugal, Italy and France. Specifically, in April, eight officers will travel to the Portuguese cities of Lisbon, Braga, Porto and Faro; in July, four officers will patrol the Italian cities of Rome and Naples; and the rest will provide services in French tourist destinations (Chessy-Dinsey, Carcassonne, Avignon, Bordeaux, Arcachon, Nimes, Marseille and Versailles) between April and September.