Police Vehicle Shortages Hit Tenerife and Guatemala

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the local police fleet has shrunk by almost 40% over the past eleven years, falling from 148 vehicles to 89. Patrol cars dropped from 43 to 22 and motorcycles from 50 to 27, while the officer count remained essentially unchanged at around 308. The CSIF union notes a 21.2% rise in parking‑related complaints, highlighting a growing workload despite the reduced fleet.

In Guatemala, more than half of the National Civil Police’s patrol fleet is out of service, with 5,021 vehicles inactive. The government has cancelled a previous motorcycle purchase due to procedural flaws and is awarding a contract for 1,000 new patrol vehicles to be delivered from September‑October. Taiwan has donated 250 motorcycles, with another 250 slated for delivery later in the year, to help alleviate the mobility crisis.