Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni expects the city council to approve Taser guns for the Guàrdia Urbana at its July plenary session, urging the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) to support the measure.
Collboni Urges ERC Support for Taser Adoption
Mayor Collboni expressed surprise at ERC's opposition. He noted their calls for more tools to combat repeat offending. However, they do not support this initiative.
"I do not understand why the Guàrdia Urbana cannot have them," Mayor Collboni stated on Tuesday. He highlighted that nearly 80 local police forces across Catalonia already use these electric devices. The Mossos d'Esquadra also use them.
Collboni added that ERC governs municipalities where Taser use is approved. Furthermore, the Catalan police used these energy-conducting devices when ERC led the Generalitat government.
Tackling Crime and Drug Trafficking
The Mayor also called for increased police presence. This includes the Mossos d'Esquadra and state security forces. He additionally advocated for harsher prison sentences for drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession.
Mayor Collboni stated, "Spain continues to be a cheap place to traffic drugs or possess firearms. This cannot be." He then added, "We echo the words spoken by the Minister of Interior. Neither the possession of weapons can be normalised nor can drug use be trivialised."
This push follows recent incidents in Barcelona. The Mayor urged the Generalitat and the Spanish State to address these issues within their respective jurisdictions.
Guàrdia Urbana's Future Equipment
The Guàrdia Urbana, Barcelona's municipal police force, serves a city of 1.6 million residents. Equipping them with Tasers has been a contentious issue in the city's political space for some time.
The July plenary session will determine the immediate future of Taser deployment for the Guàrdia Urbana. Mayor Collboni also hopes for a positive decision from Junts, who previously withdrew their support for the initiative.
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Originally published by Europa Press Barcelona. Read original article.
