Ertzaintza
The Ertzaintza (AFI: [erts̻aints̻a]) is the autonomous police force of the Basque Country. It was created in 1982 with Carlos Garaikoetxea as lehendakari, in development of the Statute of Guernica. It is heir to the Ertzaña constituted by the Provisional Government of the Basque Country during the Spanish civil war in development of the Statute of Autonomy of the Second Republic. It is one of the four Spanish security forces and bodies of an autonomous nature, together with the Catalan Mozos de Escuadra, the Foral Police of Navarra and the Canary Islands Police. Each of the 8000 agents of the body and ertzain-etxea ('house of ertzainas') are called ertzaina ('people's caretaker').) to the police stations.
The Basque police are headquartered in Erandio and have 25 police stations distributed throughout the different regions of the Basque Country, as well as different customer service offices such as the one at Bilbao Airport (in Lujua, Vizcaya) and those in the center of the capitals. Other important bases are those of Yurreta (Vizcaya) Arcaute, Vitoria (Álava), which is also the academy where Basque police officers are trained, and Berroci, Bernedo (Álava).
Currently, the Ertzaintza is considered the "integral police force" of the Basque Country. He is the holder of all powers in matters of public order, public safety, traffic and gaming and shows of autonomy. It also works in the fight against terrorism, investigation and judicial police. The body depends on the Department of Security of the Basque Government, whose head is Josu Erkoreka. The director of the Basque police is Victoria Landa and the position of chief of operations is vacant after the resignation in 2014 of Jorge Aldekoa.
History
The origins of the current Ertzaintza, as a comprehensive Basque police force, can be traced back to the old municipal militias, very common throughout Spain, which were popular organizations at the service of municipalities, created to satisfy the need for public safety. However, it was not until the 19th century when, setting aside voluntaristic efforts, the first bodies were created as professional police officers. It was a resolute response to banditry, which was the consequence of the political and social upheavals of the late 18th century in Spain. The decisive context for its configuration occurred during the first Carlist war, when the miqueletes from Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa, as well as the miñónes from Álava, began their activities.
During the Civil War, the first Basque Government of José Antonio Aguirre, assuming its powers of «maintenance of social peace and public order», dissolved the existing security forces in Vizcaya (Civil Guard and Assault Guard) and created a new police organization that would be called Ertzaña, although its first name was the Euzkadi Military Police. It was made up of the Ertzaña on foot and the Ertzaña Igiletua, or motorized section. (Interior) was Telesforo Monzón and its headquarters were in the Ibaigane Palace in Bilbao, the current headquarters of Athletic Club.
The word Ertzaiña ("people's caretaker") was created by Esteban Urkiaga "Lauaxeta", a Basque nationalist writer who was shot by the rebels during the Spanish Civil War.
Later development
At first, in 1980, a provisional training camp for the elite units was established in the Alava town of Berroci, which was abandoned. Various units have taken their name from it, such as the Berrozi Berezi Taldea , the Ertzaintza Special Intervention Group, or the bodyguard service of the Lehendakari and his advisors.
Over time, a stable academy was created in the town of Arcaute, located in the municipality of Vitoria, for the following promotions. Being Lehendakari Carlos Garaikoetxea and Interior Minister Luis María Retolaza, its current headquarters were inaugurated in 1982. Its first director was, for four years, Juan Porres Azkona. The current director is Malentxo Arruabarrena.
In recent years, the academy has also started to train members of the Local Police of the Basque Country and emergency services.
Until 2015, 24 promotions of agents have passed through the academy and number 25, with 250 places, will access throughout the year after the corresponding OPE. For the 21st promotion, convened in April 2007, 120 places were offered, which for the first time have been separated into 60 places exclusively for women and another 60 mixed places. That promotion made it possible to reach the figure of 8,000 agents agreed between the Department of the Interior of the Basque Government and the Ministry of the Interior of the Government of Spain in 2004. Different judicial instances declared "unconstitutional" those quotas for women, which no longer exist in the most recent promotions in the absence of a regulation in the future Police Law of the Basque Country that Beltrán de Heredia has promised.
In the summer of 2007, an order of the Supreme Court resolved the appeal of the Basque Government regarding the presence or not of the Spanish flag outside the academy, confirming that «in the regional public buildings the flag must be permanently waved flag of Spain, either alone or together with the regional flag. Since October 2007, the Spanish flag has been raised at the Academy along with the ikurriña and the Ertzaintza flag.
Training
Currently, the members of the XXIX promotion are doing their internships after having finished the training course in November 2021. The students of the XXX promotion will enter the Basque police and emergency academy in February 2022 The future agents will spend a period of about 9 months, during which and after having overcome a period of opposition of about a year, they learn the different disciplines that will be useful in their future work. After a minimum period of 12 months of internship providing active service in different units, the agents are designated career civil servants.
Despite being of great importance, knowledge of Basque is not an essential requirement to access the course. In fact, more than half of the Basque police officers do not speak the language. The Basque plan recently approved by Estefanía Beltrán de Heredia raises that language as a requirement in the near future.
Degrees of the Ertzaintza
| Grades of the Ertzaintza | Upper scale | Executive scale | Inspection scale | Basic scale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Hat Shield | .png) | .png) | |||||
| Rigid male |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Flexible man |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Grade emblem |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Degree | Intendent | Commissioner | Subcommission | Officer | Officer | Agent first | Agent | |
| Grades of the Ertzaintza | Scale of doctors and technicians | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hat Shield | .png) | |||
| Rigid male |  |  |  |  | |
| Flexible man |  |  |  |  | |
| Grade emblem |  |  |  |  | |
| Group | Group A1 | Group A2 | Group C1 | Group C2 | |
Organization of the Ertzaintza
The Ertzaintza is divided into two divisions, Citizen Protection and Investigation, to which is added the Intelligence Office. A unit of non-police labor officers (UtAP) acts as a support group in administrative work. These are the most important units:
- Citizen Security
Unit in charge of patrolling the streets. Until 2011, as a consequence of the cessation of ETA's terrorist activities, they had not been able to do it on foot and since then they have proposed to gain "proximity", like the so-called korrikas. More than 4,000 agents belong to this unit, the largest and closest to the citizen of the body. It uses vehicles like the new Seat Altea XL, although the rolling stock in recent years was the armored Volkswagen Passat and the Renault 19 and Megane. They wear a dark blue uniform with a cap –the chapel or beret is no longer used except in the dress uniform and in the office uniform-. The jackets are red.
- Research and Scientific Police
The Ertzaintza has investigative groups specialized in different matters, such as cross-border crime (Eten), economic crimes, environmental crimes, etc. There is also a Scientific Police unit that has solved several crimes with DNA evidence, such as the murders of Joseba Pagazaurtundua and Amaia Azkue.
- Traffic
It is the oldest unit in the force, on Basque roads since 1982, replacing the Civil Guard. They practice speed controls and alcohol and drug tests. In their uniform they wear fluorescent elements to make themselves seen on the road.
- Field Brigade
The Mobile Brigade is the riot control unit of the Ertzaintza, better known as the beltzak ("blacks"; beltza in Basque means "black") for their black uniform. Historically, they have worn a welt to cover their faces for their safety and a red helmet. A support unit is in charge of providing assistance to the Citizen Security teams in large events or in matters such as the transfer of prisoners.
- Berrozi Berezi Taldea
It is the Special Group of Interventions that acts before a hostage taking and carries out security operations of special relevance, such as surveillance from high points before the visit of high State institutions. They train at Berroci, a base built on an abandoned town in the heart of Álava, where the escorts also train. In this same base is the canine unit of the Ertzaintza, with dogs trained in locating explosive devices, drugs, or missing persons.
- Surveillance and Rescue Unit (UVR)
It is the unit in charge of carrying out rescues, by sea, land and air. Previously, the Mobile Brigade was in charge of carrying out the rescues. Its base is in Yurreta, in the same place as the Mobile Brigade.
- Explosive Deactivation Unit (UDE)
It is a unit created to fight against ETA, they were in charge of deactivating the explosive devices that the terrorist band placed, after the end of ETA they are focused on Islamic terrorism. This unit carries out its training in Berroci, the same base as the Berrozi Berezi Taldea.
- Immediate Reaction Patrols (PRI)
It is a unit created to be the first to act after a terrorist attack, kidnappings, robberies and other situations. The agents that make up said unit are members of the Mobile Brigade. They have different firearms with great potential to deal with such actions.
The fight against terrorism
Although the bulk of the powers in the fight against the terrorist group ETA in the Basque Country correspond to the National Police Corps and the Civil Guard, the Ertzaintza also has powers in this matter. The Central Intelligence Office is the specialized unit in the fight against ETA and its entourage, as well as in new international threats such as jihadism.
The Central Intelligence Office is the heir to the Anti-Terrorist Division, a much broader group (up to 500 troops) created by Minister Rodolfo Ares during the Patxi López government, in which a policy of " zero tolerance" against ETA and its entourage. After the definitive cessation decreed by the terrorist group in 2011, the strength of the anti-terrorist units of the Basque Police was significantly reduced.
Historically, this unit has had various names such as the Information and Analysis Unit (UIA) or formerly Attached to the AVCS Vice Ministry of Security.
Ertzaintza vehicles
At the end of 2014, the Ertzaintza had 85 riot vans (average age: 17 years), 1,162 camouflaged cars (12 years), 485 patrol cars (7 years), 143 motorcycles (12 years), 47 traffic vans (6 years), 70 wagons of crowded (8 years), 23 cell vehicles for the transfer of detainees (12 years), among others.
Vehicles with badges or wraps are white with parts colored in blue and red. They wear the Ertzaintza shield and an ikurriña. On their registration plates, special for the body, there is a Gothic E and the identification number. At present, the most common vehicles are the following:
- Seat León X-Perience
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Seat Altea XL
- Volkswagen Passat (now disused for citizen security tasks)
- Nissan Patrol GR (currently disused for citizen security tasks)
- Nissan Patrol (now disused for citizen security tasks)
- Nissan Pathfinder
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
- Mercedes-Benz Vito
- Volkswagen Transporter
- BMW 1200 RT
- BMW 1250 RT/P
- Eurocopter EC-135
The Ertzaintza outside the autonomous community of the Basque Country
On March 1, 2010, the Ertzaintza joined the Police and Customs Cooperation Center (CCPA) in Hendaye (France), a joint police station where it collaborates by exchanging information with the French security forces. The Civil Guard, the National Police Force and the Customs Surveillance Services of the Tax Agency also participate in the Hendaye CCPA. Unlike the State Security Forces, the Ertzaintza cannot operate abroad, although, by court order,[citation required] it has done so outside the autonomous community of the Basque Country.
Unions and labor disputes
90% of ertzainas are affiliated to a union. After the October 2014 elections, there are five organizations with representation:
- Erne (Ertzainen Nazional Elkartasuna): is an independent and corporate union with a presence also in local police officers of the Basque Country. His secretary general is the Ertzaina Roberto Seijo.
- Esan (Ertzaintzaren Sindikatu Abertzale Nazionala): a corporate union that emerged from a split of the Basque nationalist ideology center ELA.
- ELA: trade union section of the main class union of the Basque Country.
- Sipe (Professional Union of the Ertzaintza): corporate union heir in part of the former trade union section of the General Workers' Union.
- Euspel (Euskal Polizien Elkartasuna): newly created corporate union and emerged at the base of Berroci.
Until the last elections, the union section of Comisiones Obreras also had representation in internal bodies.
In recent months,[when?] unions have formed an "unit of action", criticizing the policy of "imposition" of Beltrán de Heredia and cuts in working conditions.
Contenido relacionado
Seljuk dynasty
Caliphate
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum