The UK’s Foreign Office has issued a warning for travelers heading to Spain.
On March 20, officials updated the GOV.UK website, advising people to download an essential app before their trip.
They write: “The Spanish Police and Civil Guard have a mobile app which offers a number of services, including simple and discreet communication with police forces if you experience or witness a crime.”
The app is called ALERT COPS which can be downloaded on the App Store here as well on Google Play here.
The free app, which you should download before you step on the plane, has been “created by the Subdirectorate General of Information and Communications Systems for Security (SGSICS), under the Secretary of State for Security of the Ministry of the Interior of Spain, whose main purpose is to improve and facilitate access to certain public services of citizen security.”
This means that anyone, “regardless of their language, origin or hearing or vocal disabilities, can communicate to the State Security Forces and Corps (Police and Civil Guard) an alert, information, data or news about a criminal act or security incident of which they are a victim or witness.
Citizens thus have a complementary channel to contact the National Police and Civil Guard in a fast, direct, discreet and effective way.”
Although the app is available across Spain, it cannot be accessed in Catalonia or the Basque Country.
For those concerned about privacy, officials assure travelers that their location is only shared when they send an alert or choose to “activate a PUBLIC GUARDIAN”.
Their aims are to:
- Establish a new communication channel between citizens and the Armed Forces.
- Optimise information requests and response procedures by collecting key data from the outset, such as location, incident type and people involved.
- Enhance response times and information processing while enabling greater citizen collaboration.
- Provide a language-accessible channel for foreign visitors and residents to connect with the Armed Forces’ security services.
- Ensure accessibility for individuals with communication disabilities.
- Serve as a foundation for future internal and external management and communication needs
Remember to downloaded on the App Store here as well on Google Play here.
