Seville wanted more security in its streets at night. So he has recovered an old figure: the serene

In many towns and cities of Spain, serene are a I remember distanta another time figure that he was in charge of around night through the streets while the rest of the neighbors rested in their beds. In Seville no. There the City Council decided to recover them to late 2023 And the experience has been good enough so that now, once that test is over, he has decided to return big, with more personal, more hours and covering more neighborhoods.

Its mission will not consist of replacing the police, but in something much more interesting: demonstrating that serene can fit in the 21st century.

What happened? That Seville wants that at night its streets are monitored by a figure that has disappeared in most towns and cities of the country: the serene. And he wants to do it big, in addition, dedicating considerable investment to the program (around 2.6 million euros) so that the guards can cover a large part of the Hispanic capital during every night of the year.

Why do you do it? It may be shocking at a time when cities are already controlled by municipal agents and other agencies responsible for ensuring the safety of neighbors and businesses, such as the National Police, the Civil Guard or 112; But Seville acts with knowledge of cause. The Consistory already launched a program with “civic agents” to late 2023a service that worked for months and gave such good results that He wants to consolidate it.

What do they do? The Hispanic City Council It makes it clear: The serene figure is not intended to replace the Polysa. On the contrary. His mission is to complement the work of the agents, inform neighbors and tourists, mediate in conflicts, accompany people who may need it, such as the elderly, dependent people or lost visitors, notify problems in urban furniture and alert the Cecop (Operational Coordination Center) Before emergencies.

They are a “first proximity front”, In words of the Consistory.

Their first year of operation gives a clear clue what the serene can contribute. In just one year they gave almost 500 notices To the CECOP room to inform open shops, problems with lighting, robberies, fires or medical emergencies. In Seville they have accompanied people at night, advising, mediating in the attention to homeless people and even provided “Preventive Protection” to a clerk before a case of harassment.

And what does the City Council think? Its mayor, José Luis Sanz Ruiz, I made it clear This week when announcing the commitment redoubled by the serene: “we launched a pilot project in 12 neighborhoods of the historic center and the balance was quite positive. It has achieved a better coexistence, more security for neighbors and better job opportunities for hired people.”

That first test was in fact launched as part of a public employment plan that ended Last December Without option In extension. Hence, now the Consistory has tendered a contract for the service to assume a company As of Octoberbetween the 1st of that month and on September 30 of the next year, although the sheet contemplates that the contract can be extended.

What will the service be like now? Much more ambitious. If the pilot project had 18 “civic agents” and two coordinators, the new service will expand its seedling until adding 36 agents and two coordinators. This increase will also allow them to expand the Seville area that supervise: of the 12 neighborhoods planned in the 2023 plan, it will be passed to 26 zones. As for the schedule, the serene will be in charge of making rounds from 23.00 to 7.00 h 365 days a year, an hour more than before.

That increase is possible thanks to a greater economic effort of the institution. The pilot program was financed by 725,800 euros. Now the investment is triggered to rise to 2.6 million euros. In that amount, They clarify at the City Councilthe salaries of the agents and the material they use, from geolocation devices to the clothes that identify them as serene are included.

Are they exclusive to Seville? No. Although Seville has stood out for his commitment to the “civic agents” is not the only town in Spain that keeps serene. His figure has also recovered in Several municipalities Catalans

Another example is Gijónwhat are you doing More than 25 years He decided to recover them to make rounds through the streets of the city from entrance at night and to the early morning. His work is very similar to that of his colleagues Sevillians: they help neighbors, merchants and tourists, prove that urban and lighting furniture is in good condition, they inform and warn the police in cases of robberies.

Images | Seville City Council and Andrea Leopardi (UNSPLASH)

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