The Police Intervention Unit (Unipol) of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will resume operations this weekend after five years of inactivity. A total of 36 officers and supervisors will be deployed, as confirmed by the local council.
The revival of the Unipol aims to enhance safety and community relations across the city’s neighbourhoods and other areas where their presence is needed.
Members of the new unit have undergone two weeks of intensive training to familiarise themselves with operational strategies and service planning. Their training includes teamwork fundamentals, installation of Static Control Devices (DEC), and necessary qualifications for using police equipment. They also learned protocols for interventions in various public spaces and large events.
The training programme incorporates theoretical knowledge on conduct, discipline, image, responsibility, self-protection, and internal functioning, alongside essential physical preparation. Practical scenarios, weapon handling drills, and reminders of the legal framework regarding proportionality in defensive actions were also part of the curriculum.
Unipol will operate from a base in Los Campitos, which is undergoing upgrades to ensure optimal working conditions for the officers. The council has updated all intervention materials and equipped the unit with tools such as pepper-ball launchers and electronic control devices, for which officers have received the necessary qualifications.
Initially, Unipol will also have four intervention vans and a pick-up truck to facilitate their movement throughout the municipality.
