The the citizen security police does is to prevent, maintain or is to prevent, maintain or restore order and public safety. public safety. In our country there is no single police force responsible for this area, but rather the Spanish Constitution attributes its guarantee to the security forces and corps (Article 104.1), while Organic Law 2/1986 assigns its general administration to the Ministry of the Interior (Article 10.1).
At the national level, the agent of reference is the General Commissariat of Citizen Securitya unit integrated in the National Police which was created in 1939. According to the Article 3.3 of the Royal Decree 207/2024Its functions, apart from public order and security, also include some attributions on private security, surveillance of public spectacles that fall under state competence and protection of high personalities, buildings and facilities.
On the other hand, the Civil Guard also has Citizen Security Units that act in one or several municipalities with the mission of “protecting the free exercise of the rights and freedoms of citizens through the prevention and primary investigation of criminal conduct, as well as the assistance and attention to the requirements of the population 24 hours a day, every day of the year”, as defined by the institution itself of Citizen Security of the Civil Guard.
In addition, and following the principle of municipal autonomy, the local police forces local police forces also participate in the protection of public safety, as established in the aforementioned Organic Law 2/1986. Organic Law 2/1986The local police forces also participate in the protection of public safety, as established in the aforementioned Organic Law 2/1986, with attributions such as the surveillance and protection of local personalities and property or collaboration with other security forces and corps in matters of public safety (article 53.1).
In Barcelona, for example, the Guardia Urbana has a specific area of citizen security with the objective of preventing and investigating crimes, collaborating with other security forces and corps in emergency situations, carrying out patrols to prevent criminal acts and managing conflict situations in the neighborhoods. The same is true of other local bodies such as the Girona Municipal Police.
Which police ensure public safety in Catalonia?
Apart from the competences of the National Police, the Civil Guard and the local police, in Catalonia citizen security is also guaranteed by the Mossos d’Esquadra. Mossos d’Esquadra, as contemplated in article 5.3 of the Organic Law 4/2015.. In this sense, the functions they perform are:
- Protection of people and property.
- Maintenance of public order.
- Surveillance and protection of persons, bodies, buildings, establishments and dependencies of the Generalitat de Catalunya, in addition to guaranteeing the normal operation of the facilities and the safety of the users of the services.
- Surveillance of public space.
- Protection of demonstrations and maintenance of order in large human concentrations.
- Provision of assistance in cases of accident, catastrophe or public calamity, and participation in the execution of civil protection plans in the manner determined by law.
- Provision of assistance in rescue actions, in case they are required.
- Fulfillment, within the competencies of the Generalitat, of the functions of protection of public safety attributed to the security forces and corps by Organic Law 1/1992.
- Prevention of criminal acts.
Functions of the citizen security police
The main function of the different police forces that guarantee citizen security in our country is the protection of persons and property. protection of people and property. At this point, it is important to know the difference between public security and citizen securityThe scope of the two concepts assumed by the Spanish Constitution is not exactly the same.
The main task performed by the public security police is to
Their task includes active crime prevention by patrolling specific and strategic areas, identifying and monitoring suspicious activities and responding immediately to emergency situations. In addition, they also play a significant role in conflict resolution in neighborhoods.
The protection of infrastructures and events with large numbers of people is also a key attribute, as their presence can deter threats and ensure that activities run as smoothly as possible.
