A Policia Local officer in Torrevieja is facing disciplinary proceedings after colleagues accused him of repeatedly taking items from the communal fridge at the force’s main headquarters.
According to the case file, seen by regional newspaper Información, the incident that finally triggered a formal complaint involved a bottle of water belonging to a fellow officer.
The report states the accused ‘allegedly and intentionally appropriated a bottle of water belonging to the complainant, which she had left in the station fridge, removing the label in an attempt to avoid detection’.
The officer’s colleague nevertheless recognised the bottle and reported the incident in writing on September 25.
The written complaint was handed to a duty officer, who forwarded it to the chief superintendent.
An inspector and another senior officer have since been appointed to handle the disciplinary process, classified as a minor offence.
Sources told the newspaper that the issue does not relate solely to the bottle of water, but to a series of similar incidents reported informally in recent months.
Officers had become increasingly frustrated after sandwiches, meals and drinks reportedly disappeared from the shared kitchen area.
While such complaints are normally handled quietly and often end up being archived without punishment, the alleged repeat behaviour appears to have exhausted the patience of senior staff.
With around 180 officers in the Torrevieja Local Police, identifying the alleged perpetrator is not expected to be difficult.
The disciplinary file notes that the conduct may amount to a minor infraction under both the Valencian regional law governing local police forces and Spain’s national police disciplinary law.
In both cases, the offence relates to inappropriate conduct towards colleagues or citizens, including taking someone else’s property without permission.
