The Municipal Police of Madrid celebrated today the festivity of its patron, San Juan Bautista, in a solemn event held in the Retiro Park, presided over by the mayor of the city, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, accompanied by the deputy mayor and delegate of Security and Emergencies, Inma Sanz. Almeida once again congratulated all the officers, thanked them for their daily work to ensure safety and coexistence in the capital, and emphasized the appreciation felt by the people of Madrid for them and the commitment of the Government team to the force.
During his speech, Almeida expressed his gratitude to the Municipal Police for their "silent but essential task," which makes the capital a "model of a safe and welcoming city." He also emphasized that the force is the "first line of defense of the rule of law, our freedom, and coexistence in Madrid" and recalled that their work is manifested "with admirable constancy, exemplary professionalism, and impeccable honesty."
The mayor reiterated the commitment of the City Council to provide the force with "the necessary resources, the most advanced training, and the most innovative technological tools," because "this city owes you the possibility of being what it is: a place where diversity does not generate fracture, where freedom does not lead to chaos, and where progress does not sacrifice security."
Almeida, accompanied by police officials, representatives of municipal groups, and various authorities, reviewed the formation and presided over the presentation of the traditional recognitions, awards, and accolades of the Municipal Police, including the Medals of the Corps, the Crosses of Merit, and the Medals of Professional Merit.
Medals of the Municipal Police
The Medals of the Municipal Police, five this year, have been awarded to the municipal Public Health Laboratory of Madrid Salud, the Local Police of Valencia, the Águila Patrol of the Air Force, the Business Confederation of Madrid (CEIM), and the Judiciary.
The Public Health Laboratory of the municipal organization Madrid Salud, which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its accreditation these days, is responsible for analyzing the safety of food, water, and taking air samples, among other elements (alcohol, mushrooms, etc.) and collaborates with the Municipal Police in the analysis of confiscated narcotics on public roads and samples taken from drivers in traffic controls.
The Local Police of Valencia, on the other hand, is celebrating its 155th anniversary this year and receives this recognition for its dedication and coordination during the emergency caused by the DANA on October 29, but also for its daily work, for its collaboration with the Municipal Police of Madrid, and for its merits in areas such as the fight against gender violence.
As for the Águila Patrol of the Air Force, on June 15, it made its last flight in San Javier (Murcia), closing 40 years of representation and service to Spain and the Air Force worldwide. In its four decades of existence, its CASA C-101 aircraft have completed 38,000 flight hours in more than 500 exhibitions, 170 of which were outside our country.
Another Medal of the Municipal Police has been awarded to the Business Confederation of Madrid (CEIM), the most representative organization in the Community of Madrid, with more than 150 business associations and dedicated to defending the interests of Madrid companies and their development and competitiveness for the general interest, with a strong commitment to Madrid and its companies, which is also demonstrated in emergencies like the blackout.
The fifth recognition is to the Judiciary, for its constant collaboration with the Municipal Police of Madrid, in general, and with its Main Police Judicial Station in particular.
Medals of Professional Merit
In addition, 79 Medals of Professional Merit have been awarded to municipal police officers for difficult, risky interventions, or actions that have exalted the image of the force, such as those received by several tutor agents from the Villa de Vallecas Station who arrested the 56-year-old stalker of a 12-year-old girl after deploying a tracking device, or the recognition of several police officers from the Latina Station (and another from Carabanchel) for the investigation and intervention, in collaboration with the National Police, against drug trafficking on Cullera Street, a situation that generated many complaints and neighborhood concerns and ended with the arrest of three individuals and the seizure of almost half a kilo of cocaine, 1.5 kilos of hashish, two marijuana plantations, and a sawed-off shotgun.
Another example is the medal awarded to an officer from the Judicial Coordination Station who, after being informed of the theft of the belongings of 24 tourists on a bus, viewed the images from several nearby cameras, accessed a stolen mobile application to locate the vehicle of the thieves, and, after requesting reinforcements, arrested the four suspected criminals – belonging to a criminal organization – recovering more than 15,000 euros and those belongings. Three agents from the Carabanchel Station have also been awarded for the investigation, location, and arrest of an individual who sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl, after tracking him on social networks and subsequently setting up a surveillance operation until capturing him.
Two recent examples of these medals are those received by several members of the Tetuán Station for their collaboration, alongside various other police forces (Interpol, CNP, Ameripol, etc.), in the dismantling of an international network of immigrant trafficking between the Dominican Republic and Spain (Operation Pana) through fraudulent use of identity documents and other forgeries, leading to the arrest of 34 people in Madrid. Also, the award to a sub-inspector and an agent from Villaverde who, upon arriving first at a home where a four-month-old baby was not breathing, acted promptly and transported her to the Hospital 12 de Octubre while performing resuscitation techniques, ultimately managing to make the baby react and, with the help of healthcare professionals, recover.
Crosses of Merit of the Municipal Police
A total of 143 Crosses of Merit of the Municipal Police have also been granted, 91 of them to distinguished municipal officers for their professional and human virtues in a period of ten years or more of uninterrupted service, and another 52 to members of other security forces, armed forces, and civilian personnel distinguished for their collaboration with the work of the Municipal Police.
Among the latter, there are several commanders and officers from the National Police, the Civil Guard, the UME, and the local police of Valencia, Massanassa, Paiporta, Algemesí, Catarroja, Sedaví, and Alfafar, as well as from other municipalities and cities such as Alcobendas, Zaragoza, and Barcelona.
Recognition is also given to the Deputy Minister of Justice and Victims of the Community of Madrid, Carmen Martín, for her support in the development of the functions of the police judiciary and her involvement in the implementation of the Police Office for the Protection of Victims at the headquarters of the Gender Violence Courts on Albarracín Street. Another Cross of Merit has been awarded to the Deputy Prosecutor Delegate for Road Safety of the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for Traffic Safety, Miguel Espeja, for his close collaboration with the Police Traffic Judicial Station.
Finally, several officials from different areas of the Madrid City Council (Protocol, Samur-Civil Protection, Firefighters, General Directorate of Public Roads Conservation, School Sports, Gallur Municipal Sports Center, Prevention and Attention to Gender Violence, IAM, etc.) have been awarded for their collaboration with the various police stations of the Municipal Police.
Final Parade
After paying tribute to the deceased municipal officers, the ceremony concluded with the traditional parade of the units of the force, which was opened by a section of the Central Security Station and included the Cavalry Squadron, the Music Band, the Gala Police Section, the Orders Bugle, the Corps Flag, the Canine Section, members of the Honors Company, and students of the 55th promotion, as well as the Cycling Section and the mobile units, including motorcyclists from the Special Services Unit. This year, a dozen officers from the Local Police of Valencia also participated in the parade, after this force was recognized with one of the Medals of the Municipal Police of Madrid.
