Jupol accuses Government delegate of "political irresponsibility" for denying presence of Latin gangs in Valladolid
The police union Jupol branded as a "deeply mistaken message" the statements of Nicanor Sen, who denies the presence of Latin gangs in Castile and León.
Jupol reproaches Sen for denying the rise of Latin gangs following the Las Moreras brawl
The Police Justice union (Jupol) has described as "political irresponsibility" the statements made by the Government delegate in Castile and León, Nicanor Sen, in which he denies the existence of Latin gangs in Valladolid. According to ABC, the criticism comes days after a brawl in the Las Moreras neighbourhood that left three people injured by blade weapons, two of them minors.
Jupol thus joins the critical voices of the Unified Association of Civil Guards, which had already questioned the delegate's words. In a statement, the union described Sen's message as "deeply mistaken for citizens and for the very officers who confront extreme violence situations on the streets every day".
Sen reaffirms his position and appeals to legal criteria for organised gangs
When asked again about the matter at an event in Palencia, Sen maintained his position and explained the requirements that, in his view, a group must meet to be classified as a criminal organisation. "Within the organisation there has to be a leader who gives orders, secondary leaders distributed across territories at neighbourhood level, executing members, aspirants and a support network that facilitates information," he stated in remarks recorded by Ical. "Not one, absolutely not one of these five circumstances exists in Castile and León," he stressed.
The delegate acknowledged the existence of "imitators" who commit crimes "more or less on an individual basis", but insisted that this reality "is in no case comparable to the definition of a Latin gang". "I am simply referring to reality and I am referring to the data," he responded to the union's statement.
Jupol: "We are not dealing with mere fights between young people"
The union rejected that characterisation. Jupol claims to have been reporting for some time "the increase in serious and violent crimes, the rise of organised youth groups and the increasingly common use of large blade weapons on the streets of Castile and León". In their statement they warned that "we are not dealing with mere fights between young people".
"The use of machetes, organised attacks and multi-person clashes reflect patterns typical of violent gangs with capacity for coordination and mobilisation, something that has already been detected in other Spanish cities and which now also affects medium-sized cities such as Valladolid," the union noted. They added that among recent incidents is a death that occurred in February in the Valladolid capital.
For Jupol, "denying the problem only favours its expansion". "Experience demonstrates that such phenomena must be tackled from the outset through prevention, police intelligence and effective presence on the streets," they stated.
The union denounces staffing levels "below minimum"
Jupol also took the opportunity to call for more police officers. According to the union, "many Public Security units are operating below minimum levels, bearing enormous workload while the Ministry of the Interior continues to fail to adequately fill existing vacancies".
The union demanded "urgently the immediate reinforcement of police staffing in Valladolid and across Castile and León, as well as increased police presence in sensitive areas and times of greater conflict".
Jupol also conveyed its "support and recognition for the national police officers who intervened in the Valladolid brawl, whose swift action prevented even more serious consequences". It closed its statement with a message directed at citizens: "Citizens have the right to know the reality and to demand effective measures against violent phenomena that are generating growing social alarm on our streets".
Source: ABC