The Mossos have celebrated this Friday the Day of the Squads in which the top leaders of the body meet with the rest of the State security forces, representatives of the institutions and senior officials of the judiciary. Today could be the last act of Joan Ignasi Elena’s Esquadres as Minister of the Interior if ERC fails to retain its majority in the next elections. As a consequence, Eduard Sallent’s continuity as head of the Mossos may also be affected. The Ministry of the Interior wants to protect Sallent and grant him one of the two positions of Mayor, the highest ranking in the body that is also for life. The chief commissioner has vindicated the work carried out and has demanded stability in order to continue with the projects that the Mossos have underway. “Organizationally the body is in a good moment. We are a reliable body, capable of responding to all adversities and capable of enjoying and recognizing that we are in a good moment,” claimed Sallent, who has been in office for a year and a half after of the Mossos have changed chief commissioner six times since 2017. “We institutions need stability to be able to move forward with our future projects,” he stressed, recalling the main challenges facing the Catalan police: the digital transformation and the generational change in the command posts.
The Ministry of the Interior, just before early elections were called, the Government opened the competition for a freely appointed position for Mayor, thinking of granting it to Eduard Sallent. The argument put forward by the department is that it is intended to “correct the anomaly of having a person responsible for the body who does not hold the highest professional category.” The other Mayor’s position is occupied by his predecessor in office, Josep Lluís Trapero. However, according to La Vanguardia, Sallent will have to compete with the commissioner, Alicia Moriana, who has also decided to run for office.
During the event, the councilor Joan Ignasi Elena has vindicated the work done by his government during the last three years in which the staff of agents has been increased and feminized, with the incorporation of more women not only at the base but also in the dome. In fact, the counselor has taken the opportunity to highlight some figures. The number of agents has increased by more than 10%, going from 16,916 in 2021 to 18,643 in 2023. They will be joined by 850 more police officers who are already taking the basic course at the Police School. Furthermore, in the last calls, 40% of the places were reserved only for women, which means that 500 more female agents have joined the force. “I’m very proud of it,” Elena said.
The president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, who was in charge of closing the event, expressed himself along the same lines. “It is the most feminized force in Europe,” he has proclaimed and has demanded that the Mossos continue to grow in numbers until reaching 22,000 agents in 2030.
