Marbella starts training 25 new local police officers

José Carlos García

Marbella

Marbella has begun preparations to incorporate 25 new local police officers. This group consists of 20 men and five women who have passed the previous selection process and, as of this Monday, are part of the fourteenth Entry Course into the Local Police Corps of Andalusia. This initiative, launched by the City Council, will continue until February next year at the Municipal Security School (ESMA) and within the local police force itself. "Today is not just any day; today marks the beginning of a demanding and vocation-driven path for those who have decided to dedicate themselves to public service in our city," stated Marbella's mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, during the opening ceremony, which was attended by the Andalusian Government's delegate in Málaga, Patricia Navarro; the General Secretary of Interior of the Junta de Andalucía, David Gil; the director of the Institute of Emergency and Public Security of Andalusia (IESPA), Asunción Grávalos; the delegate of Citizen Security, José Eduardo Díaz; and the Chief of Marbella Local Police, Francisco Florentino Ruiz, along with representatives from various security forces and bodies.

The training program totals 1,424 instructional hours and is structured into two in-person phases and a 680-hour internship period at the Marbella Local Police, where the students will join service shifts to apply their acquired knowledge. This will conclude in February 2027 with a final evaluation stage, and those who pass will become local police officers.

The mayor emphasized that "the course offers a comprehensive program to train professionals prepared to meet the challenges of a diverse and constantly evolving society" and highlighted that the model "promotes learning by doing, teamwork, and the resolution of real situations." She also explained that the itinerary combines an in-person phase at the ESMA with internships in the force during the summer period, which, as she pointed out, "will be an especially enriching and demanding experience due to the population increase the city experiences in these months." She also encouraged the students "to embrace each stage with responsibility, discipline, and integrity."

"Being a local police officer means to mediate, listen, protect, and assist, always acting with professionalism and humanity"

Florentino Ruiz

Chief of Marbella Local Police

Florentino Ruiz, for his part, specified that the program covers areas such as police techniques, traffic and road safety, legal content, psychosocial skills, emergencies, and first aid, and he emphasized three main objectives: knowledge of the law, mastery of technical tools, and a vocation for public service. In this regard, he stressed that "being a local police officer means to mediate, listen, protect, and assist, always acting with professionalism and humanity" and detailed that the force currently consists of 336 officers, in addition to 95 non-police professionals.

Getting to Know the Neighbors

The Andalusian Government's delegate in Málaga praised the role of the Local Police as one of the public security forces closest to the citizens, "whose responsibilities go beyond mere law enforcement." She added the enormous projection and demand required by a city like Marbella "which needs highly qualified professionals prepared to act closely but also efficiently to contribute to a safer Andalusia." "Your task, when patrolling the streets, will be to get to know the residents of Marbella, understand their problems, and ensure their safety," Navarro valued, who also thanked the dedication, public service vocation, responsibility, and professionalism of each of the 336 officers currently part of the Marbella Local Police force.

She also stressed that "cooperation with Local Police officers has always been very present in times of emergencies, as we have seen in the recent episodes of storm trains or cold drops that our province has experienced, where the Local Police were already there when we arrived and were always the last to leave," she concluded.

Finally, Navarro highlighted that "today Andalusia has a training model in security matters aimed at excellence, based on coordination and collaboration between administrations." At this point, the Institute of Emergency and Public Security of Andalusia (IESPA) plays a fundamental role as a reference for the Andalusian training model to continue facing new challenges in public security.

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• Marbella
• María Ángeles Muñoz Uriol