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SPEECH

(PRESENTATION):

I would like to introduce myself for those who dont know me yet / who still dont know me:
my name is Fran, Im a police officer in Pego, and my English is not perfect whatsoever. So
please, forgive / excuse / dont take into account the many mistakes I am going to make
while talking to you.

I was born in a town not so far from here: Cullera. I began to study English when I was 8. My
mother signed me up?? in an English academy...

As a teenager I was not a very brilliant student, but funnily / surprisingly enough I used to
sail through my English exams, so later on, by the time I had to decide on a course to follow
at university, I chose an English course concerning English culture, literature and language,
taking some English and Spanish teacher degrees on the way.

I became a Police Officer because when I was 23 I was offered a job in Culleras beach as a
police assistant for English speakers, but my English was nowhere near as good as it could
now be...and I had to pull my finger out. My career orientation as a policeman started at
that point in time, and my love for English language and culture kept on.

By some quirk of fate, I ended up taking my definite police destination in Pego, a town
where I soon realised it was packed with English people. It was like a dream coming true.
Thats why I am so happy to be involved in an English speaking community, because, if it
depended on me, I would spend 24 hours a day practising the language that I love so much.

It is my aim tonight to provide you with some reliable -as well as interesting- information
which helps you develop your rights as Spanish citizens, and make you feel more confident
when dealing with Spanish police issues.

I will organise the speech in three parts:

- FCS IN SPAIN AND THEIR FUNCTIONS


- THE LOCAL POLICE and HOW TO USE THEM
- DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES
1. There are 3 police forces in Spain:

1. National Police (known as CNP)


2. Guardia Civil (GC)
3. Polica Local
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POLICA NACIONAL - CNP

Where they are based: big cities and other cities where there is no GC.

Both CNP and GC have a national jurisdiction= they work only for the national government
and the courts. CNP are based in big cities or, in cities where there is no GC, and GC are
based in cities or towns where there is no CNP and in coasts.

FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL POLICE

- Control of gambling laws

- Prosecution of drug-related crimes

- Cooperate with the Police in other countries (INTERPOL)

- Control of private security companies

- IMMIGRATION: Passport control, refugees, foreigners, asylum, which leads us to:

PERSONAL DOCUMENTATION!! I would like to bring special attention to this matter


as after speaking to many English people I have found the information they have
been given to be incorrect, so I will end my speech on this topic.

FUNCTIONS OF GUARDIA CIVIL

- Weapons and explosives

- Smuggling control

- Control and custody of sea and land borders, ports and airports.

- Nature and environment conservation (SEPRONA)

- Transfer of convicts and detainees

INTER-URBAN TRAFFIC AND ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO TRAFFIC, which leads us


to an important point, DRIVING LICENSE!! I would like to bring special attention to
this matter as after speaking to many English people I have found the information
they have been given to be incorrect, so I will end my speech on this topic as well.

- Important: GC are responsible for inter-urban traffic, whereas PL are responsible for
urban traffic

FUNCTIONS OF POLICA LOCAL

Protection of Local authorities and custody of official buildings in the town.

(Bodyguards)

Provide assistance in cases of emergency, catastrophe or calamity


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Guard public places and collaborate with the other police forces to provide security
in demonstrations, as well as maintaining public order in large crowds of people
when required.

Cooperate in the resolution of private conflicts when we are required by the people
affected. EXPLAIN!

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICE VS JUDICIAL POLICE

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICE DUTIES: to enforce the local laws or ordinances or administrative


laws. That is to say, those which are not crimes but just offences for which the Town Hall has
power of punishment.

JUDICIAL POLICE DUTIES: exactly the same as the two other police forces, working for the
courts and the government of the nation, which involves crimes and their investigation,
catching the criminals and arresting them.

Administrative Police with regards to ordinances and other local laws:

- We are THE EYES OF THE TOWN HALL. At this stage, we work entirely for the Local
Council.
- We have to make sure that people respect the local laws and respect the rights of
the other neighbours. For example: dogs dangerous ones must always wear a muzzle
and all dogs must always be on the lead. It is always the owners responsibility if the
dog runs away and causes an accident. It is also a legal requirement for all dog
owners to clean up after their pets (commonly known as pooper scooping)
- Noise pollution (dogs, music, people in the street...)
- Illegal constructions
- We have to make sure the roads are safe, the streets lights are on, the traffic signals
are well positioned, and monitor everything that could affect or disturb a normal
standard of living, as well as making sure you enjoy your rights as a citizen of Pego.
- Sometimes we appear at your door with papers to sign. Dont be frightened of this!!
Usually it is only the Town Hall confirming information they hold about you is correct
or, maybe informing you of a court date when it is necessary for you to appear or a
fine concerning your property (worst case scenario).
- As Administrative Police we control the traffic in the Town Area. TRAFFIC IN THE
TOWN IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. Thats why we fine offenders of bad parking. With
regard to this; take care with the GRUA! If a car is disrupting the traffic or
impeding some neighbour going out of or entering their house, the GRUA will pick
up your vehicle and, unless you pay 80 for the grua tax you will not have your car. If
your car has been removed go directly to the Local Police Station and we will drive
you to where it is.

Procedure when youre fined in your absence:


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How to act in these issues that concern to all of you:

- Call us, let us know what the problem is, then we can investigate, make a report with
photographs attached if necessary and send it to the Town Hall, from where the
report will go in turn to the person responsible so that problem can be resolved.

Judicial Police:

We depend on the courts (on the state) exactly the same as the two other police
forces in Spain. We can investigate and research crimes and arrest criminals (it is a
great advantage to have a Local Police force because we know the town and the
people living in it) so the first line of information normally comes from us. Then if we
catch the thieves, we arrest them and pass them to GC for prosecution.

We have open communication lines with the State Police Forces (CNP and GC), and
we let them know of every incident that happens. Why? Because they work directly
for the national Government. Therefore both GC and CNP have their communication
networks in place to more efficiently pursue crime.

Lets put it this way: the thieves have run away to other city, to another part of Spain
or even abroad. CNP and GC will have the proper resources to catch them. THATS
WHY WE SEND YOU TO THE GC TO MAKE YOUR REPORT WHEN YOUVE BEEN
BROKEN INTO.

Make Crime Prevention Proceedings, measures in order to prevent crimes from


happening:

By doing this we provide information to the Courts of any suspicious things we


observe in the area of the Town, which is our demarcation. So, please, tip us off! Let
us know if anything amiss... We are local people, we know Pego like the back of our
hands and nearly every crime takes place not always in the roads (apart from traffic
offences, of course) but in the town area.

These preventative measures exist so that crimes can be stopped before they start or
before worse things happen. You cannot imagine how many crimes are stopped per
year because of Efficient Preventative Measures.

How they work:

- We inform the courts of the information weve got about a crime thats been
committed or has started to be committed, and they give us the means or their
permission to act in order to stop it before it gets worse or before it is accomplished
by the criminals.
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There is a wide range of crimes that could be prevented by these reports: Social
issues (badly treated children), gender violence... and any crime that can come up to
your mind.... (robberies, )

WITH REGARDS TO TRAFFIC INSIDE THE TOWN WE ARE ALSO JUDICIAL POLICE.
WHEN?

- REPORTS TO THE COURTS IN ACCIDENTS WITH INJURED PEOPLE.


IF THERE ARE NO INJURED PEOPLE: PARTE AMISTOSO (AMICABLE FORM).

112 / 965570118: which one do I have to dial

Ive been robbed:

I have had a traffic accident (a serious one, involving personal damage):

Theres an abandoned car in my street:

There are dogs barking all the night and I cant get a wink of sleep:

Someone has come to my home claiming to be from a gas / Iberdrola company:

I feel ill; I think Im having a heart attack:

PERSONAL DOCUMENTATION - CNP

The most important document: THE GREEN PAPER: CERTIFICATE OF INSCRIPTION FOR

GUARDIA CIVIL PAPERWORK:

It is considered habitual residency when youre living here for six months on. From two years
on, you have to acquire your Spanish driving license.

Procedures:
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There are some of you who stay in Spain for (more or less) long periods of time -more than 6
months- but then you go back to England for four months and so on, and therefore you dont
have your habitual residency here: well, theres something called INSCRIPTION, by which
your English license is stamped in order to circulate with your car through the Spanish roads.

To sum up:

1. HABITUAL RESIDENCY: 6 MONTHS. MORE THAN 2 YEARS: SPANISH DRIVING LICENSE


2. NON-HABITUAL RESIDENCY BUT LONG PERIODS OF TIME LIVING HERE: INSCRIPTION
DRIVING LICENSE STAMPED-
3. COME AND GO, IN AND OUT CASES: BRITISH LICENSE IS ENOUGH

How to do it?

1. GO TO THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT IN ALICANTE with your N.I.E, PASSPORT, ALL


YOUR DOCUMENTS WITH PHOTOCOPIES ATTACHED (translator if necessary)
2. CALL 060: MIND! ONLY SPANISH SPOKEN-

They will check many things after your interview with them, and then will tell you by phone
or letter what to do concerning medical check-up, etc:

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