Today at noon, the Junta Local de Seguretat (Local Security Junta) gathered under joint chairs Alejandra Ferrer and head of central government affairs on Eivissa and Formentera, Enrique Sánchez Navarrete. Also at the encounter were the provincial under-secretary of transit, Laura Pelaez, local vice-president Ana Juan, and Rafael Ramírez, Josep Marí and Vanessa Parellada, the local chiefs of social welfare, interior and equality and youth, respectively. Additional attendees included representatives of local political parties and spokespeople for the Civil Guard, National and Local Police and Civil Protection.

Among the issues at the centre of discussion was the undocumented arrival on the island this summer of migrants. President Ferrer said officials had agreed "to put protocol in place to define the functions of the various security forces and arms of local government" in an effort to "improve coordination and better respond to an unexpected problem".

Alejandra Ferrer highlighted the efforts and involvement of Formentera's social welfare department, not to mention the local police and other forces of order, some of them volunteers. She also pointed out that the administration has begun the process of hiring new staff to work with minors. She also pleaded with other arms of government to reinforce the staff and material resources they dedicate to the matter.

Mr Sánchez, for his part, highlighted "prodigious coordination between the Consell and forces of order around arriving migrants" and tied the arrivals to the political situation south of the Mediterranean, insisting that "we won't see changes until we see changes happening in Algeria".

Road safety
Meeting attendees also spoke about the surge in deaths on local highways, a total that hit five this summer. President Ferrer spoke of a "winter push to educate islanders, particularly young ones, about the importance of safety on our roads". Projected to run parallel this winter with the educational campaign are increased traffic stops by local law enforcement.

Formentera, the safest island
Mr Sánchez pointed out that "today Formentera is the safest of the Balearic Islands". Speaking ahead of the release of official year-end figures, he hinted that "this year there’s been no significant increase in crime, but increases have been seen in crime resolution".

Participants also sat for a general review of the 2019 season, where prominent features included the efforts and coordination of local law enforcement, firefighters, Protection Civil and other emergency response services.

Local Security Junta meetings take place twice a year and today's gathering marked the first of the legislative term. One held before the start of summer serves to prepare the various security forces, while a post-season wrap-up is aimed at defining efforts over the winter and necessary work ahead of the coming summer.

21 November 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

The trade and entrepreneurship division of the Consell de Formentera announces the conclusion of Jove-Qualificats Entitats Locals, a programme ofthe regional job seekers' office, or SOIB, that made it possible for two local youth to incorporate the working world with help from the local government. 2018 was the second year that Formentera participated in the SOIBprogramme.

Alba Portas Serra and Maria Antònia Martorell Mateu qualified for the programme, which saw the pair collaborating on the creation and launch of an online catalogue of local government services, a database on businesses taking part in the Compra a Casa initiative, and a commercial website to promote the programme.

Trade and entrepreneurship consellera Ana Juan applauded the work of the young women, insisting that "in the space of a year, they've overseen two projects of great importance to our administration and islanders". Juan described Jove-Qualificats as "a very exciting opportunity since participants not only build on their expertise but also expand their possibilities for insertion in the jobs market".

The services catalogue is a technical tool that allows for the clear and visual sharing of administration services and content with islanders.

The catalogue also signals compliance with legislation approved 9 December 2013 to codify transparency, public access to information and good governance.

The database of participating Compra a Casa businesses is styled as an online resource putting shoppers in a position to locate business not just physically on a map, but to browse by category and neighbourhood, and according to individualised fact sheets offering details on popular products, special offers and more.

SOIB's Jove-Qualificats Entitats Locals programme is cofinanced by 2014-2020 Operational Youth Employment Programme of the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative, and with funds from the Sectoral Conference.

20 November 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

This morning at 11.00pm, the Formentera Council called a meeting of the Junta Local de Seguretat, or Local Security Junta, in the administration's hall of ceremonies. Council president Jaume Ferrer summoned local Govern delegates for the one-off gathering in a bid to address recent burglaries and fires on the island.

The committee is co-chaired by Ferrer and Maria Salom, the regional government's envoy on the island. Another Govern representative, Rogelio Araujo, sat in for Salom, who was unable to attend.

Afterwards, the president framed the gathering as an opportunity to check in on the action of local law enforcement like Guardia Civil in response to the robberies and fires. Specialised divisions have also been enlisted in tackling the issue, he said. The meeting also served as a forum to explore improving coordination between agencies like the Guardia Civil and Formentera Local Police.

“Based on what we have seen, the work is getting done”, Ferrer said, though admitting “results in these cases are slow to materialise”. “We want to see fast changes, but our message to the people of Formentera is one of tranquility: trust that our national forces of security are here for our protection”.

The Formentera Council's department of security applauds the Govern and the Balearic Islands parliamentary body for moving, December 5, to advance a July 17 piece of legislation on coordination of local law enforcement in the islands. Special thanks go to Formentera's provincial councillor, Silvia Tur, for championing an additional provision officials say will be a milestone in how the police coordinate their efforts on the island.

According to the amended text, Formentera's unique position —with an island council in charge of one municipality's governance, and the correlated overextension of the local law enforcement agencies— means the Govern, as keeper of the political autonomy and inter-island relations encapsulated in the Balearic autonomy statutes, must offer additional administrative, technical and managerial support for the island's police.

The Govern's assistance must be brought to bear to ensure local law enforcement get the resources they require in excess of what the law already provides. In recent years, despite housing options, comparable pay and available positions on the force, Formentera police have remained understaffed. Police academy graduates give their preferred picks for their assignment locations, and in light of burgeoning demand across the Balearics, precious few choose Formentera. Thanks to repeated opposition from Madrid's delegate to the island and the Partido Popular, uncertainty continues to cloud the legal fate of full-time positions created to sweeten the deal for Formentera-based officers.

Now, with the updated law and the special provision, Formentera has yet another instrument to guarantee it can attract new officers. Department head Bartomeu Escandell thanked regional institutions “for hearing our island's appeal for more police,” saying: “The Govern has taken steps to commit the resources our island's police force deserves”. The councillor also announced that with the new law's entry in force, Formentera will open a call for six new police officers, double the current number.