The Asociación Justicia Para la Guardia Civil (JUCIL), the largest association within Spain’s Guardia Civil, has raised urgent concerns about the significant shortage of officers in rural areas.
Following the tragic murder of 11-year-old Mateo in Mocejón, Toledo, JUCIL has highlighted the critical delays in response times. therefore, it is calling for an additional 15,000 to 18,000 officers to address these security gaps.
Delayed response times
On 18 August 2024, Mateo was fatally stabbed while playing football in Mocejón. His assailant, a 20-year-old man who fled the scene, was not apprehended until the following day. JUCIL has criticised the delayed response from law enforcement. Additionally, noting that the first patrol took 40 minutes to arrive at the scene. Furthermore, this delay could be even longer in other rural areas across Spain.
JUCIL’s spokesperson, Javier Montero, pointed out that in Castilla-La Mancha, there is only one Guardia Civil officer for every 15.5 square kilometres. That ratio is mirrored in other rural regions. This shortage, JUCIL argues, severely hampers the ability of officers to respond promptly to emergencies. Some patrols taking over an hour to reach their destination.
Widespread challenges across Spain
The issue is not isolated to Castilla-La Mancha. JUCIL reports that Galicia requires an additional 400 to 500 officers to meet minimum security needs. In Aragón, only six patrols are responsible for covering seven districts in the Bajo Aragón region. Officers in this area often have to travel up to 90 kilometres to respond to a call, leading to response times of up to an hour and a half—far from the optimal 10 to 12 minutes.
Montero also highlighted the inefficiency caused by the “phantom barracks”—outposts that are so understaffed that officers must combine forces from other locations to form a patrol. This issue is compounded by the outdated distribution of barracks. In regions like Castilla y León, where nearly 290 barracks exist, many dating back to the 1950s and 60s.
Proposed solutions
JUCIL is advocating for the consolidation of these scattered barracks into larger, strategically located stations in regional centres. This would allow patrols to be dispatched more effectively, ensuring that response times are minimised in emergencies. Montero emphasised that this reorganisation is crucial to improving security in rural areas, where population decline has rendered the current barracks distribution ineffective.
Expanding Guardia Civiel workforse is a priority
In response to JUCIL’s concerns, Spain’s Ministry of the Interior stated that expanding the Guardia Civil workforce has been a priority since 2018. The ministry noted that annual public employment offers have consistently aimed to replenish and increase the force, with replacement rates between 115% and 130%. As of 31 December last year, the Guardia Civil’s ranks had swelled to 91,320 officers—the highest number in history.
The ministry also pointed out that more than 13,000 officers were lost during previous administrations under the Partido Popular. In June 2024, the Council of Ministers approved an employment offer for 2,721 new positions, further bolstering the force.
JUCIL continues to push for more resources. Meanwhile, the debate over rural security in Spain highlights the challenges of maintaining safety in sparsely populated areas. Furthermore, they emphasise the critical need for strategic resource allocation to protect all citizens effectively.