El Campello opens 42 disciplinary proceedings for violations of the “citizen coexistence” ordinance

Since March 27th, when the Municipal Plenary passed the “citizen coexistence ordinance” in El Campello (which was later published in the Province’s Official Gazette), local police officers have opened 38 cases for various violations of its provisions.

This regulation, draughted by the police force itself, addresses all sorts of inappropriate behaviour in public places that is punishable by law, including the usage of public areas and civic behaviour.

The police force reported 42 infractions of the ordinance in less than three months. Five of these violations were for street vending (which is not permitted), two for dumping into the sewage system, pruning, or debris, six for consuming alcohol in public (known as “botellón”), four for selling alcohol during unauthorised hours, four more for disturbing neighbours by playing loud music during unauthorised hours, one for painting graffiti on a wall, and twenty for unauthorised occupation of public spaces.

The penalty will vary from 100 to 750 euros

According to officials at Police Headquarters, the corresponding sanctions are still pending. Because the bulk of the cases involve “minor offences,” fines will range from €100 to €750, with the exception of an establishment sanctioned for selling alcohol after hours, which will face a €1,500 fine. Furthermore, the authorities have taken measures to close the property.

The police initiated several cases in response to citizen complaints. Sanctions are rarely implemented since the offender(s) may claim ignorance of the (very recent) regulation and choose not to continue with the punished action by just leaving.

People report the first incident, take sound measurements, and issue warnings to offenders when they complain about unauthorised loud music playing in public locations. On four occasions, the warning was ineffective, and the perpetrators were punished.

Meeting and socialising area

The primary goal of this Ordinance is to preserve public space as a place of encounter, coexistence, and civility, “in which all persons, with full freedom of their activities, free movement, leisure, and recreation, must respect the dignity and rights of others, plurality of expressions, and diverse ways of life.”

The text covers all types of activities in public areas, from vandalism to the consumption of alcohol or drugs, as well as the penalty for noncompliance. The ordinance covers all public places within the municipality, including buildings, services, street furniture, and other public property.

It also affects spaces, buildings, installations, or vehicles and elements intended for a public service, such as transport vehicles, bus shelters, bus, railway, tram or coach stops, fences, traffic signs, containers, and other elements of a similar nature, and it also applies to privately owned spaces when conduct or activities are carried out there that affect or may negatively affect coexistence, or when neglect or lack of adequate maintenance by their owners, tenants,