Relations between the Local Police and the municipal authorities in Torrox have been strained, to say the very least, for several years now, so a new source of conflict comes as no great surprise.
Mass absenteeism at crucial times, allegedly false allegations, disciplinary sanctions against officers and other items have been commonplace.
The latest conflict involves the discovery by several officers of GPS devices in their patrol cars. Two officers were apparently on patrol when a bump in the road caused dashboard vents to come loose. When they looked inside they found some loose wires and, hidden behind a metal panel, a GPS device.
The officers concerned say that, fearing the device had been planted by criminals to monitor their activities, they contacted the Guardia Civil who, after investigating, said the device had been installed on the orders of the Council.
The Union of Local Police and Firemen in Andalucia (UPLB) in Torrox has reported the incident to the Spanish Data Protection Agency saying they believe the action is in contravention of Law 15/1999 of the Data Protection Act and could lead to the Council being fimed up to €300,000.
The UPLB say the devices were installed without notification to the union or the officers and without the necessary permission from the Data Protection Agency.
The Council argues that the devices were in the process of being installed in compliance with current regulations and with all the necessary legal safeguards. The sole purpose, say the Council, is to ensure the safety of officers by being able to locate vehicles at any time.
The devices were seemingly not actually connected and were part of the first phase of an installation project now halted due to the financial situation of the municipality.