Spanish Police System

There are three separate police forces operating in the province of Andalucia here in Spain and all three are distinguished by the colour of their uniforms and the duties they perform..

The Guardia Civil wear green uniforms and they are responsible for national security, customs and for crowd control for the bigger events that take place. The department of the Guardia Civil you are most likely to come into contact with is "Traffico" who patrol the main roads and motorways along with performing fixed radar speeding checks.

The National Police wear a black uniform and white shirts but can also be found wearing a blue military style uniform. They are normally very well armed as their duties include guarding public buildings as well as protecting the Spanish Royal Family and members of the Government. Their duties also include investigating crimes following a crime being reported (denuncia) and this can be lodged at the Police Station.

The 3rd Police Force is the Policía Local and they normally wear blue and white uniforms. They are attached to the town hall in each town or village and control local traffic, parking and local small crimes. You will see this branch of the Police a lot along the coast as you go from town to town.

All three forces carry guns and it is wise to treat the officers with respect but it is fair to say they are normally very polite. One resident on Park La Posada near Antequera who when stopped for speeding asked the Guardia Civil officer who stopped him "Do you speak English?" and the officer promptly smiled and replied in Spanish "You are in Spain Sir". He then issued the on the spot fine for speeding very politely.

There are frequent traffic checks carried out by "traffico" and you must always carry some form of identification with you plus your driving licence and proof of car insurance if you are the driver.

To conclude, all Police Officers are used to dealing with the English and if you have done something wrong just be polite and they will deal with the situation in very much the same way as the Police back in the UK.

Be warned Traffico are now waking up to the use of fixed radar cameras especially around Malaga

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