Beginning of the deployment of the Mossos d’Esquadra police force
On 17 October 1994, Catalonia’s Security Board approved a model to replace the Spanish security forces and corps in Catalonia. It also authorised the first deployment of the Mossos d’Esquadra to supersede the Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil.
In addition to territorial deployment, the Mossos d’Esquadra progressively assumed specialised competences. On 29 January 1997, for instance, the Government of Catalan assumed power over traffic enforcement. Act 10, of 11 July 1994, on Catalonia’s Autonomous Police – Mossos d’Esquadra defines it as a hierarchically organised civilian police force.
The deployment of the Mossos d’Esquadra as an ordinary, fully fledged police force began in the Osona region on 1 December 1994 with the opening of the Vic police station. It ended in 2008 in the Camp de Tarragona and Terres de l’Ebre police regions.
Female officers on the streets and in public transport in several cities in Catalonia.
Video about the beginnings of the Mossos d’Esquadra in Vic.
Public safety and public order are two of the main responsibilities of the men and women who work for Catalonia’s Autonomous Police – Mossos d’Esquadra. Because of their work on the beat, they are the first to respond to everything that happens in the region and to the public’s needs. The primary mission of the public safety units is to protect the free exercise of citizens’ rights and duties and to guarantee their safety. The response and prevention services are carried out by both uniformed patrols and plainclothes officers. These men and women work in different groups—the Citizen Services Office, the Local Police Group, the Victim Support Group, and the Community Relations Office—all of them coordinated by the police officers assigned to the coordination departments.
