The Civil Guard is investigating an incident in Orihuela Costa that resulted in a man being shot and seriously injured. The man, about whom the Civil Guard has declined to provide further information, has been receiving medical care since the shooting.
The incident took place in a popular area of La Zenia, a well-known area of Orihuela Costa.
Just a few days later, an attempted kidnapping took place on the Orihuela coast, but luckily the target managed to escape. The alleged perpetrators were in a grey Volkswagen Golf or Mazda, according to a report from the local police to the Unidos por la Costa neighbourhood association, which posted the information on its social media sites in case anyone can provide more information.
The Local Police social media, managed by the Police Headquarters, have been deactivated since April following a dispute between the City Council and the Police Commissioner, José María Pomares, following his forced retirement. The local community through Unidos por la Costa has condemned the situation and called for better communication and the increased allocation of police resources on the coast. They have also requested longer reporting hours at the Coastal Emergency Centre, which is currently open Monday to Friday between 9am and to 1pm, a full-time interpreter for foreigners, the publication of official crime data from recent months, and the reinstatement of the Local Police’s social media channels as soon as possible.
The coast has 30,000 inhabitants, according to the official census. However, outside of the statistics the number of inhabitants can reach 100,000 at certain times of the year. As in any tourist area, there are many uninhabited houses outside the summer season. Community representatives believe the Coast is asking for more police officers based on real needs, not based on an unrealistic census.
In May of last year, the coastal district mayors met with the local police to organise residents against squatting, creating a ‘special brigade’ to spot squatters. Illegal home occupation has been a headache for homeowners and residents in countless areas for years. With the brigade, cases have decreased, but there is still a shortage of patrols and police officers.