Costa Blanca
Legal dispute over Torrevieja’s police leadership

Alejandro Morer’s appointment as the local police force’s general director has been challenged by Vicente Gutiérrez, the commissioner of the Torrevieja Local Police.
According to Gutiérrez, it is unlawful for Mayor Eduardo Dolón (PP) to have appointed Morer directly without holding a public call or a formal selection procedure.
Morer was Deputy Chief of Police until January 31st. In his current role, he is above the commissioner and serves as a bridge between professional and political leadership.
According to the appeal, Morer’s appointment was made public only after the governing council gave its consent, and it was granted without an open competition, which is against the law’s norms of contracting.
Article 34 of the new municipal organic code, which permits an official from subgroup A2, like Morer, to unusually take on a post often reserved for A1 officials provided they exhibit competence and experience, is expressly challenged by Gutiérrez.
Since national legislation only permits A1 officials or non-officials to occupy such posts, Gutiérrez contends that this goes against the normative hierarchy concept. Torrevieja’s rules, which include A2 officials, are in conflict with higher-level laws, resulting in what Gutiérrez refers to as a legal fraud.
He asserts that the regulation is an abuse of power and was created expressly to support Morer’s direct appointment.
The appeal also challenges the lack of openness, arguing that by moving forward without adequate public notice, the nomination process infringed upon the fundamental values of equality, merit, and ability. However, the Torrevieja municipal government contends that the direct appointment was justified because the job was freshly formed and unoccupied.
Federico Alarcón, a member of the Security Council, acknowledged the appeal but denied its merit, adding that the case is likely to be rejected by the same legal team that authorised the nomination.
It was disclosed that the job was offered to Gutierrez twice before going to Morer. Additionally, the government contends that when the regulation was initially released in September 2024, Gutierrez did not contest it.
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Costa Blanca
Hospitality and recreation establishments in Elche receive 36 infringement reports from local police

The Elche Local Police conducted an operation that involved inspecting thirteen hospitality and leisure outlets in various neighbourhoods, resulting in one arrest and 36 violations. The data was made public on Friday, 28th March, mainly as a reminder of the work that is being done. Councilman Juan de Dios Navarro gave the police top for their efforts.
According to local police inspector José Antonio Corrales, the majority of the infractions included drug usage and possession, including four for cocaine possession and seven for hashish, as well as improper company documentation. Additionally, there were two reports for disturbing the peace or disrespecting law enforcement, four for not following the minimum hygienic standards for food storage, one serious infraction for conducting the activity after hours and behind closed doors, and seven for irregularities found on the property, including improper documentation.
Additionally, officers found six infractions for permitting smoking in unapproved indoor locations, three for type “B” slot machine identification guide deficiencies, and one major infraction for emergency escape and door flaws. Additionally, a report was made about the selling of illegal tobacco at a pub, where 20 packets were confiscated and one individual was detained on court order and imprisoned.
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Costa Blanca
Visitor to Catral cemetery locked inside

As nightfall approached on one of these soggy spring days in March, a young man decided it would be a good idea to visit a cousin or acquaintance’s grave and take a walk through the cemetery. Because the cemetery still closes its (automatic) gates at six o’clock at this time of year, but without the winter gloom that may discourage anyone from going.
However, the door was locked when he attempted to exit. The visitor didn’t seem to want to spend any more time among the cemeteries, despite the cemetery’s reputation as a particularly tranquil spot. Unaware of the placard bearing the mobile phone number for anyone needing help, he dashed out the gate. It was all on camera.
Joaquín Lucas, the mayor of Catral, maintains that this occurrence is unrelated to the privatisation of the cemetery works and feels that management by an outside company is an efficient approach to provide this service in a municipal office. He went on to say that the young man who who was locked in is from the nearby municipality of Dolores rather than Catral.
The local police took to social media and atacked the man’s “reckless” behaviour. He has been named in connection with “criminal proceedings for a crime against another’s property.” Nonetheless, the business will be liable for any damages brought on by the damaged door anchors.
In addition to clarifying that the business employs two workers—a gravedigger and a labourer who maintains the communal areas and restrooms—the Councillor for Services, Daniel Escudero, reaffirmed that the automatic door is an option offered by the company itself.
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Costa Blanca
Five arrested in Alicante and Murcia for shoplifting

Five individuals involved in grocery theft have been taken into custody by the Guardia Civil. In the regions of Alicante and Murcia, the thieves were stealing in a number of locations for a well-known supermarket company. The things that were stolen are worth over 8,000 euros in total.
The investigation started after the retail chain representative filed a complaint. The pattern was consistent across all cases: three or four people went into the store, and one of them loaded up a cart with expensive things like canned goods, extra virgin olive oil, sausages, or alcoholic drinks. The last one hurried out of the grocery without paying, and another diverted the attention of the staff.
It was discovered that the same people were responsible for the crimes in multiple towns in Alicante and Murcia after examining the security footage from the impacted businesses. Since the suspects did not live in the residences where they were registered and lacked a stable address, it was very difficult to find them.
Shortly after committing another theft at a store in a suburban neighbourhood of Rojales (Alicante), officers caught two of the suspects off guard and took them into custody. Many of the stolen goods were found at that time and brought back to the impacted business.
The other three were later taken into custody in the cities of Almoradí (Alicante) and Guardamar del Segura. The majority of the pilfered items were sold on. Additionally, the two cars that were utilised in the crimes were taken.
Eleven thefts have been resolved as a consequence of the investigation conducted by the Novelda Civil Guard’s investigation section. The cities of Novelda, Torrevieja, Almoradí, Catral, and Rojales in Alicante as well as the municipalities of San Javier, Jumilla, San Pedro del Pinatar, Cartagena, Archena, and Caravaca de la Cruz in Murcia were the sites of these crimes.
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