According to CSIF, a prior agreement with the force's Headquarters to maintain a staff of 325 productivity officers, a figure reached in 2025, was not honored. This shortage of personnel resulted in reduced operational capacity, despite the significance of the festive period.
“"We do not understand how, under a Level 4 anti-terrorist alert decreed by the Ministry of Interior, patrols of two officers were separated during these significant days, leaving officers, agents, and even trainees patrolling alone, which reduces the professionals' reaction capability in the face of any serious incident."
The union also highlighted that the fencing of the Official Processional Route created bottlenecks and crowd surges in critical areas such as Cruz del Rastro, Puerta del Puente, and several streets in the city's Historic Quarter. These situations complicated evacuation procedures and crowd management for the officers.
The personnel shortage also meant that some traffic control points were left unattended by police professionals. A particularly concerning instance occurred at the Miraflores Bridge, where the blocking task was delegated to a private crane company, whose vehicles did not fully prevent cars and motorcycles from passing through.
In addition to the lack of officers, CSIF reported a deficit in material resources, including individual transmitters and patrol vehicles. This situation hindered the coverage of minimum services and emergencies, and reduced the number of escorts for the processional floats.
In light of these issues, CSIF has requested an urgent meeting with the heads of the Local Police Headquarters to analyze the incidents and seek solutions to prevent the problems experienced during Holy Week from recurring in future major city events, such as the upcoming Feria de Nuestra Señora de la Salud.
