Cops Ordered To Fine People:

Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Spain’s Minister of the Interior, has warned Guardia Civil traffic officers that it is their “obligation and job” to obey and enforce the law, so they must give tickets to drivers if they see them committing a traffic offence. This statement came from Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba during a press conference after he was asked what he thought about the recent stance of the Guardia Civil to “down pens”.

The amount of traffic tickets issued by the Guardia Civil in June and July has dropped by 70%. One Guardia Civil officer consulted by the Costa Calida Informer stated that the general consensus with officers is that they feel as though they are being overworked and expected to work more hours, have more responsibilities and get paid less than the local police and yet because the Guardia Civil is part of the military, it is not legal for them to strike.

“The Guardia Civil has to comply with the laws and when they see someone running a stop sign the Guardia Civil must fine. It’s not enough simply to say, “You’re not supposed to do that.” No one likes to give out fines but it is their obligation to do so.” Added Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba. The government has obviously noticed the effects of the ”downing pens” exercise in their bank accounts because they have stated that fines have fallen by 70%, although Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba stated otherwise. He denied profusely that his department was worried about the reduction in funds coming in as a result of the “downing pens” strike and said, “The only thing that truly matters to this government is improving road safety, not traffic fines. Whoever says that we are worried about the funds knows nothing about road safety that is our only concern, I assure you.”