A retrospective exhibition titled ‘Looking Back at the Local Police’ was held from September 7 to 11 at the Ermita San Antonio Art Gallery in Tías. The exhibition showcased photographs and memorabilia documenting over a century of the local police’s evolution but notably overlooked a three-decade period when it was lauded as the “best police force in the Canary Islands.” This era coincided with the leadership of Subinspector Francisco Hernández, popularly known as Sergeant Paco.
Hernández joined the Tías Municipal Police in May 1974, marking a pivotal shift from a rudimentary guard structure to a well-organised and later specialised police force. According to official records, he led the police from the early 1980s until 2012, aside from a brief leave from 1989 to 1991. His tenure linked with the transformation of Tías and Puerto del Carmen into major tourist destinations, with the police team expanding from three to 54 officers between 1982 and 1989.
During this growth, the Tías Police developed various units, including traffic, administration, and beach patrols, becoming a pioneer in many areas. However, his later career was marred by a legal incident in January 2008, leading to a conviction for traffic offences and resisting authority, which resulted in a suspended sentence in 2012 and his early retirement by the end of that year.
Despite this blemish, the account of Hernández’s career illustrates a significant transition in Tías’s policing, reflecting a collective effort rather than an individual achievement. The history notes the importance of the police adapting to the rapid demographic and economic changes in this tourist area, and although the contemporary police structure struggles with challenges of division and oversight, Hernández’s legacy remains a crucial part of Tías’s police history.
