Josep Lluís Trapero resigned this Tuesday as general director of the Catalonia Police after two years in office. The major of the Mossos d’Esquadra steps aside in his role as the political head of the police after two complex years, marked by the fight against multiple recidivism, the introduction of video surveillance cameras, the pursuit of knives on the streets, and some controversies such as those arising from Mossos infiltrated in teachers’ assemblies and the initiative to introduce police officers in schools. Trapero was the star signing of Salvador Illa and his name was already announced during the PSC electoral campaign.
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Illa’s goal was for Trapero to team up with Councillor Núria Parlon to tackle the insecurity phenomenon affecting some municipalities in Catalonia. In a press conference, Parlon said she would have liked Trapero to have stayed in his position, but made it clear that “the will (to resign) was his own.” “I do not want to speculate about personal relationships because it is a tricky area,” the councillor said when asked about the reasons that led Trapero to leave the post. “I have not lost confidence in Major Trapero,” Parlon concluded. “We have had a good relationship, but there have been things we did not agree on. I do not think these differences in opinion are the cause that led him to decide this, I only have words of thanks towards Trapero,” the councillor reiterated.
“I would have liked Trapero to finish the term,” the councillor said
The general director of the police announced at the end of August the irrevocable decision to leave his post and will rejoin the Mossos d’Esquadra in the Evaluation police station. In a statement, Parlon thanked Trapero “for the work carried out during these two years at the head of the general police directorate, as well as his vocation for public service, which has helped place the Generalitat police at one of its best professional moments.”
Trapero’s replacement will be Commissioner Ferran López, who was also head of the Mossos during the most tense period of the procés with the application of article 155. In fact, López already replaced Trapero when the latter left office after being charged with sedition by the National Court. The new general director of the police had to rebuild bridges with the judiciary and with the rest of the State security forces after the distrust generated following October 1.
Sílvia Catà, first woman to lead the Mossos d’Esquadra as chief commissioner
The replacement of Trapero is one of the changes announced by Councillor Núria Parlon. The other is that Sílvia Catà, until now chief commissioner of the Mossos in Girona, will be the new head of the Mossos d’Esquadra. The commissioner will become the first woman to hold the highest position of responsibility in the Catalan police. She will replace Commissioner Miquel Esquius, who is retiring. Esquius became chief commissioner of the Mossos again, replacing Commissioner Eduard Sallent.
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