The Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has asserted that Asturias is "one of the safest places" in Spain.
He made the statement during the inauguration of the new Guardia Civil barracks in Mieres, an investment of €6.8 million.
The new facility brings together the official premises of the force and a residential building with ten homes for personnel.
Spain is, in turn, "one of the safest countries in the world", a merit the minister attributed to the role of the security forces and the collaboration of civil society. The event was attended by the president of the Principality, Adrián Barbón, the government delegate in Asturias, Adriana Lastra, the director general of the Guardia Civil, Mercedes González, and the head of the Junta General del Principado, Juan Cofiño.
The new barracks serves a territory of 760 kilometres and more than 37,000 people in the councils of Mieres, Lena and Aller, and also provides service to the winter resorts of Pajares and San Isidro.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Interior Minister:We are in one of the safest countries and Asturias is still safer. It is almost fifteen points below the national average. And Mieres is also one of the safest towns.
THE NEW GUARDIA CIVIL BARRACKS IN MIERES: KEY FIGURES
The minister highlighted that the number of officers has grown by 6% since 2018 in the community. Grande-Marlaska stressed the relevance of investing in security infrastructures to improve social and territorial cohesion, especially in places such as Asturias, hit by the impact of the demographic challenge.
The building of official premises has 1,909 square metres constructed, with a basement with 22 parking spaces for cars and eight for motorcycles, while the residential area, ten homes in total, has 1,370 square metres constructed and seven parking spaces in the basement.
THE NEW BARRACKS IN MIERES: THE KEY FIGURES
› Investment: €6.8 million for the new Guardia Civil barracks in Mieres.
› Official premises: 1,909 square metres constructed, with 22 car and 8 motorcycle spaces.
› Homes: ten residences for personnel, with 1,370 square metres and seven parking spaces.
› Territory: 760 kilometres and more than 37,000 people in Mieres, Lena and Aller.
› Winter resorts: the barracks also serves Pajares and San Isidro.
A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR THE CITIZENS OF MIERES
Grande-Marlaska indicated that a Guardia Civil barracks is not only a building but a point of reference for its neighbours, a permanent presence of the State. He sustained that these facilities mean proximity and trust for the inhabitants, and symbolise the consolidation of an essential public service, close to the citizenry.
He also acknowledged that its construction has not been an easy task, after some technical and administrative difficulties that lengthened the deadlines, but stressed that officers will from now on have functional and modern facilities, in line with their needs.
A Guardia Civil barracks is not only a building, it is a point of reference for its neighbours, a permanent presence of the State.
SECURITY IN ASTURIAS: THE MINISTER'S MESSAGE
› Asturias: almost fifteen points below the national average in security indicators.
› Officers: the number of agents has grown 6% since 2018 in the community.
› Demographic challenge: Asturias is among the regions hit by the loss of population.
› Cohesion: investment in security infrastructures improves social and territorial cohesion.
› Proximity: the barracks symbolises a public service close to the citizenry.
FUTURE PROJECTS IN ASTURIAS: AVILÉS AND PRAVIA
The minister also emphasised the works planned in the community within the second Plan de Infraestructuras para la Seguridad del Estado, approved last March, with an estimated investment of 11 million for the construction of a new barracks in Avilés and 6 million for another in Pravia.
At this point he stressed that when he joined the government the facilities of the country's security forces were impoverished and obsolete, and they had workforces at minimums after years of cuts. He valued the action of the government to raise salaries, increase public employment offers and commit to the modernisation of facilities.
SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ASTURIAS: THE NEW FACILITIES
› Mieres: new barracks inaugurated, with official premises and ten homes.
› Avilés: €11 million planned for a new Guardia Civil barracks.
› Pravia: €6 million planned for another new facility.
› Plan: second Plan de Infraestructuras para la Seguridad del Estado, approved in March.
› Services: the Mieres barracks houses Policía Judicial, Tráfico, GREIM, VioGén and other units.
For InasTour, the security and quality of life of Asturias are among the factors most valued by international buyers when choosing a place to settle in the Principality.
The new Guardia Civil barracks in Mieres, an investment of €6.8 million, consolidates a public service that attends more than 37,000 people in the councils of Mieres, Lena and Aller. Its inauguration also served to underline a fact repeated by Fernando Grande-Marlaska: Asturias is one of the safest places in Spain, almost fifteen points below the national average.
ORIGINAL REPORT
This article was originally published by La Voz de Asturias. You can read the original version here: La Voz de Asturias — Marlaska praises Asturias as "one of the safest places" in Spain