> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Mossos Union Calls for Better Riot Equipment - URL: https://barna.news/mossos-union-calls-for-better-riot/ - Published: 2026-10-28T08:08:09.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-28T08:08:09.000Z - Description: The Autonomous Police Union demands updated tools for ARRO and BRIMO units to ensure safety during public order operations. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: crime, Catalonia The Autonomous Police Union – Mossos d’Esquadra (SAP-ME) has called for improved equipment for the Catalan police’s public order units, citing growing difficulties in managing civil unrest. The union warns that current material limitations leave officers exposed during incidents of public disorder. The ARRO (Regional Areas of Operational Resources) and BRIMO (Brigada de Resposta Operativa) units are facing "real difficulties" in maintaining control during riots, according to the SAP-ME. Officers have fewer tools at their disposal, and those available, such as OC spray, have drawn public criticism when used. The union argues that without adequate means to maintain a safety distance, police are forced into close-contact confrontations. Currently, Mossos d’Esquadra cannot use tear gas, a tool available to other regional police forces, to disperse crowds at a distance. The union stresses this puts Catalan officers at a tactical disadvantage. "It is not lost on us that Catalonia is once again going through complicated times regarding public disorder," the SAP-ME stated, referencing both local and broader European trends. The union points to past parliamentary decisions that led to the withdrawal of rubber bullets and FOAM SIR-X projectiles. A 2013 parliamentary resolution (Resolution 476/X) mandated the gradual withdrawal of rubber bullets by 30 April 2014, requiring their replacement with robust, alternative tools. However, the SAP-ME claims these replacements have not been fully implemented. In a 2019 parliamentary motion, a proposal to withdraw FOAM projectiles was rejected (116 votes against, 11 in favour), but calls for transparency in their use were accepted. Despite this, the union says the force still lacks sufficient non-lethal options that allow for safe engagement. Under Instrucció 16/2013 and its amendment via Instrucció 11/2014, the use of police tools is regulated, including the addition of long-range acoustic devices. However, the SAP-ME argues that the current toolkit does not meet operational needs. The union questions whether the policing model is intentionally limiting options to a hand-to-hand combat approach and asks who is responsible for this shift. "We said it before the Study Commission on the Policing Model at the end of 2024 and we say it again now: it is essential to equip the BRIMO and ARRO with suitable material and the principle of authority must be recovered," the union concluded, calling for greater trust in the force and proper resourcing. --- *Sources:* [*La Ciutat*](https://laciutat.cat/catalunya/mossos-demanen-mes-equipament-arro-brimo-afrontar-aldarulls-desordres-publics%5F903825%5F102.html?ref=barna.news)*,* [*AL - Tau*](https://www.parlament.cat/document/intrade/243982?ref=barna.news)*.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Updated: Mossos to Seek Court Order to Trace Riot Calls](https://barna.news/mossos-to-seek-court-order-to-trace/) - [Mossos Reinforce Officer Safety Amid Jihadist Alert](https://barna.news/mossos-reinforce-officer-safety-amid/) - [Updated: Police Meet Shopkeepers Over New Protest Calls in Sants](https://barna.news/police-meet-shopkeepers-over-new/) - [Mossos Launch Plan Proa Against Youth Gangs](https://barna.news/mossos-launch-plan-proa-against-youth/)