Working under the Spanish sun for a whole month - where others go on vacation, together with colleagues from the Guardia Civil, learning new things, passing on what you know, improving your language skills, being close to the Mediterranean after work and being able to enjoy it. It all sounds a bit like a dream, doesn't it? And it is - a dream, but one that came true.
In 2017, I was made aware by a colleague, who knew that I had been studying Spanish at the adult education center since 2015, that there was an opportunity to apply for a temporary assignment in Spain to support the Guardia Civil in high-traffic tourist areas. At that time, I had not yet learned the required language level, but in September 2019, the time had finally come.
Departure
While I was still waiting for my departure at Düsseldorf airport, I received a WhatsApp message from one of my colleagues from the Guardia Civil in Mallorca. He wrote to me that he was my contact person and would pick me up at Palma airport. When I arrived at Palma de Mallorca airport, I was warmly greeted by him and another colleague and we waited for my suitcases.
The colleagues took me from the airport to the first hotel of my stay, Sea Club in Alcudia, where I was allowed to spend the first two weeks of my stay. I then moved on to the Viva Blue Hotel in Playa de Muro. Both hotels were highly recommended, although I would actually prefer the Viva Blue, as it has excellent cuisine. I should also mention that the staff at this hotel were super friendly and made me feel really comfortable as a guest.
On patrol with the Guardia Civil
The Cabo (the person responsible for duty scheduling) really took me and my personal needs into consideration when organizing my daily duties. Apart from one night shift, I worked early and late shifts. One night shift, however, took the form of a so-called "double shift". Friday morning early shift from 7 am to 2 pm and then, on the same day, night shift from 10 pm to 6 am. It really wasn't a pleasant shift, but it reflected the normal rotation times of my Spanish colleagues.
We spent the night shift together with a dog handler who was leading a drug detection dog. First of all, we set up various checkpoints, typically at the neuralgic traffic circles. In addition to the vehicle occupants, all vehicles were also searched with the help of the dog. A considerable amount of narcotics, at least in my subjective estimation, was found and seized. During the rest of the night, various discotheques, shisha bars, gambling halls and restaurants were visited to give the dog the opportunity to demonstrate its skills during identity checks. These searches presented the same picture as the traffic checks carried out previously.
The identity checks, the seizure and confiscation of the narcotics found and the reports made at the police station afterwards were very similar to the way they are handled in Germany. However, I was really impressed by the uncomplicated use of the service dog.
In my area of operation, Alcudia and the surrounding area, it was relatively quiet in September, at least in terms of German tourism. The majority of tourists here were families with small children and older holidaymakers, which of course meant that as a police officer in German uniform, I was really the friend and helper here. Almost every day, I was on patrol or at the police station and was able to help German or German-speaking tourists with various inconveniences and questions in word and deed.
The other missions in connection with the Spanish inhabitants of the island were not an insurmountable hurdle, even in Spanish. From theft offenses, to recording apartment and hotel break-ins, to a simple, nice conversation, everything was really included.
As part of my duties, which I usually carried out in the patrol car, we visited various hotels to introduce myself as a contact person for the hoteliers and tourists. Foot patrols through weekly markets, along the promenades, on the shopping streets and even on the beach to show police presence were part of my daily duties. I received consistently positive feedback from German tourists and the local population. The amazement and enthusiasm on seeing a German police officer on Mallorca was evident to almost everyone.
Three very special missions
I would like to highlight three incidents from this time. On my first shift, we were called to a domestic violence incident just before the end of the day. Initially, the radio only reported that there had been an argument between a father and son. We had no information about any casualties or the exact course of the dispute. We attended the scene with two patrol cars and the situation at the scene was initially very calm until it was discovered during the investigation that the son was no longer in his parents' apartment but had fled to the roof terrace on the fifth floor of the building. We went to the terrace and found the young man, completely distraught, on the parapet of the terrace wall. He described in no uncertain terms that he wanted to take his own life. The young man was professionally engaged in a conversation by a colleague from the Guardia Civil, so that the rest of us had the opportunity to get closer and closer and were finally able to grab him in a moment of surprise and pull him off the wall to prevent him from jumping into the depths. He was then taken to a nearby hospital for psychological treatment. This operation was immediately reported in the local news, and shortly afterwards we also found the article in the print media with the laudatory note that the German police were also on site during this operation.
In another operation, we were called to a turtle that had been found on Can Picafort beach. Here, too, the information from the control center was limited and we assumed that we would receive a lost animal and initially take it into our care. When we arrived at the scene, we were approached by a number of people in the area of the weekly market there and informed that the turtle had been found on the beach. Based on the excitement of the citizens, it was clear that it was probably not an escaped pet after all and we did indeed find a large sea turtle on the rocks along the coast. Unfortunately, the animal was already dead, its shell had been broken several times and we had no choice but to inform the local aquarium. We stayed on site until the responsible persons arrived and secured this "attraction". The turtle was measured and photographed and we then helped the aquarium employee, who was grateful for our presence, to load the approximately 70-kilogram animal, which will now be stuffed and exhibited.
The third assignment started at 5 o'clock in the morning. My colleague picked me up at the hotel and we drove to a nearby parking lot, where countless Guardia Civil vehicles were already waiting. A major operation to combat drug-related crime was about to begin. In addition to the 'normally' uniformed colleagues, there were several groups of fully equipped, masked special units on site, briefings were taking place, various teams were being put together, assignments were being given out and we were off to the locations. The special units opened apartments, arrested suspects and handed them over to us to take over the further processing together with the public prosecutor's office present. This large-scale operation was over at around 10 a.m., all those arrested were taken into custody and we went back to our normal daily duties. It was an operation that I had never experienced in 20 years of service in Germany. Really impressive.
And then, unfortunately, this fantastic stay suddenly came to an end.
Conclusion
A month had passed and the return journey was imminent. This was just as uncomplicated as the outward journey. In conclusion, I would like to say that it was a great experience to be able to support my Spanish colleagues in Mallorca. I experienced a lot: great colleagues, social gatherings with them, extraordinary moments, beautiful places to stay, special work experiences and challenges, working by the sea and being able to enjoy it after work and and and ..... Of course, I hope that next year nothing will stand in the way of another stay and the really helpful support in Spain
