Authorities and police representatives from both autonomous communities have held a meeting to share and examine the details of a pioneering programme in Spain.
The Police Tutor Programme developed in the Balearic Islands has become a unique initiative at the regional level, and its proven track record has attracted the interest of other territories. In this context, the Canary Islands are considering implementing a similar project, which would make them the next autonomous community to adopt this preventive model focused on the educational and social environment.
To this end, a first online meeting was held on Monday between representatives from the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, during which the structure, operation and outcomes of the Police Tutor Programme were presented. The Balearic delegation included the Vice-President and Minister for the Presidency and Local Cooperation, Antònia Maria Estarellas; the Director General for Emergencies and Interior Affairs, Pablo Gárriz; and the Programme Coordinator, Rafel Covas. The Canary Islands were represented by the Minister for Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports, Poli Suárez, along with senior education officials and a police tutor from the municipality of La Orotava (Tenerife).
TDB keeps you informed. Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
The Balearic Islands’ Police Tutor Programme, a Benchmark Model for the Canary Islands
During the meeting, Antònia Maria Estarellas expressed her willingness to provide institutional support to help lay the foundations of a project she described as essential and widely recognised by students, families and the educational community. She highlighted that the success of the programme lies in the commitment of local police officers who choose to become police tutors, acting as approachable, trusted figures and role models for young people.
Representatives from the Canary Islands expressed their gratitude for the support received and underlined the opportunity to replicate a well-established and highly successful model. Minister Poli Suárez pointed out that only two municipalities in the Canary Islands — Arrecife and Ingenio — currently have Police Tutor services, and noted that a lack of awareness has been one of the main obstacles to wider implementation.
The Balearic Islands are currently the only autonomous community in Spain with a Police Tutor Programme implemented at the regional level, as elsewhere in the country, such initiatives operate solely at the municipal level. At present, 64 municipalities in the Balearic Islands are part of the programme, involving a total of 103 police tutors.
The programme is promoted by the Institute for Public Security of the Balearic Islands (ISPIB) and aims to develop police specialisation from a preventive perspective, focusing on the protection of minors and respect for the rights of children and adolescents.
The origins of the programme date back to Pollença, where a pilot project was launched in 2002 following a request from the Guillem Cifre de Colonya Secondary School due to various issues identified among students and their surroundings. After positive results, the initiative was extended to all primary and secondary schools in the municipality and later adopted by neighbouring towns. In 2008, the programme was formally established at the regional level through the signing of a general cooperation protocol with local councils.
Nearly twenty years later, the Police Tutor Programme is fully consolidated and continues to evolve and expand, incorporating new initiatives such as cooperation agreements with sports federations and preventive actions linked to safe leisure activities and youth events.
The achievements of the programme have also received national recognition beyond the Balearic Islands, including awards from the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, the National Plan on Drugs of the Ministry of the Interior, and the National Union of Chiefs and Senior Officers of Local Police (UNIJEPOL).
Within this framework, both administrations have agreed to establish a joint working group involving all relevant stakeholders to begin adapting and transferring the Balearic model to the Canary Islands.