When it comes to oppositions to security bodies, controversies are not rare, especially when we are talking about a long process linked to the courts. In this article, the history of the oppositions will be reviewed. oppositions to the Local Police of Avilés that began in the year 2006, but due to various irregularities reported, they have ended up being resolved almost four years later, with the obligation to repeat the selection process.
The origin of the conflict: the 2006 oppositions in Avilés
In the year 2006, the Avilés City Council called for competitions to provide four positions for local police officersHowever, things were not so simple. The Independent Union of Local Police (SIPLA) detected a series of irregularities in the process, which were taken to court. According to the union, the principles of human rights were being violated. equality, merit and ability that should govern this type of call.
SIPLA reported that serious errors were committed during the process. proofreading, which called into question the transparency of the entire procedure. This situation led to a legal dispute which extended over several years, delaying the resolution of the vacancies.
Court rulings and appeals: a process that was prolonged
Already in a first sentence, The courts ruled in favor of the union, but the Avilés City Council appealed the initial ruling, which further prolonged the process. Finally, the Superior Court of Justice of Asturias (TSJA) issued a final ruling in which it was confirmed the irregularities and it was ordered repeat the opposition for the four local police posts. However, obstacles arose throughout the procedure that further complicated the situation.
A similar situation has been experienced in other cities in Spain. For example, in Sevilla, the 2012 Local Police oppositions suffered a judicial process that also resulted in the obligation to retake the exam after having detected the evidence leakThis case, like that of Avilés, shows how the courts can intervene in selective processes to guarantee their legality.
Implications for the opposition and the City Council
The obligation to repeat the oppositions meant a hard blow for the candidates who had initially passed, some of whom were already working in their new positions as agents. Having to undergo the tests again was a difficult situation both for them and for the City Council, which was forced to face the economic and organisational cost of repeating the process. It also highlights the legal difficulties that a public entity can face when it does not scrupulously follow the selection processes.
In the specific case of Avilés, these years of clashes between the SIPLA and the City Council have not only affected the image of the local government, but have also generated a situation of job uncertainty for the agents who successfully passed the tests.
The case of the oppositions in other localities
What happened in Avilés is not an isolated incident. At a national level, there are several cases in which the oppositions to local security bodies have been the subject of controversy and legal disputes. For example, in SevillaIn 2012, a court annulled the examinations for the Local Police, ordering that part of the process be repeated after suspicions that there had been irregularities in the tests. In this case, the leak of a theoretical exam affected 44 agents who, although they were already working, had to re-take the exam.
El Administrative Litigation Court No. 7 of Seville, in charge of this process, determined that there was sufficient evidence to consider that some opponents had had access to the correction template of the exam in advance, which violated the principles of equality, merit and capacity that must govern the selection processes. These cases, both that of Seville and that of Avilés, show how the personnel selection system in the security forces can be seriously affected by irregularities which call into question the transparency of public tenders.
New calls and rejuvenation of the Local Police
In contrast to these legal problems, in recent years, the Avilés Local Police has experienced a phase of rejuvenation in its workforce. Since the application of the reduction coefficient for retirement, which was equal to that of other security forces, there have been numerous retirementsBetween 2019 and 2022, a total of 39 officers retired, forcing the City Council to issue a series of new calls to fill the vacancies.
In one of these most recent calls, dedicated to providing three agent positions, approximately 200 people registered to participate. Subsequently, after an initial selection phase, the number of applicants was reduced to Ninety, who faced the final tests in November of that same year.
The procedure has allowed the incorporation of new products in the last two years Eleven new police officers to the city staff, who had seen their staff numbers reduced to 92 agents in the year 2020. Currently, the Local Police of Avilés has 103 agents, and this number is expected to continue to increase with the incorporation of new personnel who are completing their training in the Regional Police School of Asturias.
Future prospects: more places and rejuvenation of the body
The idea of the Aviles City Council is to continue to strengthen the police force, within the administrative limits and the permitted replacement rate. In addition to the three new agents planned, one more will be added, who will arrive through a process of Mobility among local police in Asturias, whose call-up is planned for the coming months. In addition, the force is expected to continue to grow and rejuvenate, as part of the effort to improve police presence in the city.
The legal problems and difficulties in the recruitment of vacancies in Avilés are just a reflection of what has been happening in many other Spanish towns. The Local Police of Avilés is still in the process of renewal, facing the challenges of the public administration in the recruitment of new agents, but also seeking to guarantee the transparency of the processes and avoid future legal disputes.
Without a doubt, the repetition of competitive examinations is not something exclusive to Avilés or the security forces. However, these cases highlight the importance of following clear and transparent criteria in public selection processes, protecting the principles of equality, merit and capacity, and ensuring fairness in the hiring of public employees.
In view of this case and others like it, for future candidates for positions in the civil service, it is essential to guarantee that the processes will be conducted honestly and with the maximum transparency, thus ensuring that those who manage to obtain a place do so based on their merit and ability, without the influence of irregularities or favoritism.