The Adeje Local Security Board met today, Thursday 31 July, to address some of the most urgent security issues in the municipality and to coordinate joint action between the different police forces and government bodies involved. The main topics discussed were the illegal occupation of the Hotel Callao Sport, illegal settlements in various parts of the borough, unauthorised taxi activity, and street vending without permission.
The meeting was chaired by mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, and also included the councillor for security, Mercedes Vargas Delgado, the deputy representative of the central government in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Jesús Javier Plata Vera, and representatives from the Guardia Civil, the National Police, the Canarian Police and the Adeje Local Police.
The mayor stressed the importance of these coordination meetings, saying they help “maintain strong working relationships between the different administrations and security forces, define shared strategies, and make sure Adeje continues to be a safe place to live.” He added that the main focus of this meeting was “the unauthorised occupation of the Hotel Callao Sport and the resulting insecurity in the area. I want to emphasise that both the Local Police and the Guardia Civil have maintained a permanent and coordinated 24-hour presence since the issue began.” He also pointed out that while this is a judicial matter, Adeje Town Hall “has acted and will continue to act in every way possible.”
The deputy government representative, Jesús Javier Plata Vera, said that “security requires efficiency, and that only happens when there is cooperation. That’s what these local security meetings are for — to improve coordination between all the police forces operating in the municipality. In Adeje, we’ve shown that cooperation works and allows us to deal with complex situations like the case of the Callao Sport or illegal settlements. Today’s meeting gave us a shared overview of the borough’s current security situation, which can be described as stable and under control. The hotel case is an isolated incident and is being handled properly in coordination with the relevant services.”
Main issues covered
In relation to the Hotel Callao Sport, the Local Police have responded more than 160 times for various reasons, including fights, attempted arson, theft, robbery, and incidents of gender violence. The board also discussed a report from the municipal social services department, who carried out an inspection of 17 rooms last month and found 24 children and 3 pregnant women living there. The board agreed that permanent police surveillance will continue while the legal process runs its course. The Canarian Police asked that the social services report be officially submitted so they, together with the Directorate General for Minors, can assess the welfare of the children involved. The mayor said the council will also be carrying out new inspections in the coming weeks relating to the building’s health and safety, planning, and structural conditions.
The board also looked at the situation regarding illegal settlements. Local Police reported that over 200 substandard dwellings had been identified, some in poor and potentially dangerous conditions, others possibly being let to tourists via online platforms. The report also mentioned the presence of protected wildlife, illegal dumping, loose animals, and what may be an informal land sales network. The board agreed to formally ask the Canary Islands environmental agency to act urgently to stop the spread of the problem.
The next issue discussed was the increase in illegal taxi operations, carried out by organised groups. So far in 2025, the Local Police have filed 41 complaints for unauthorised taxi activity, many in tourist areas and involving repeat offenders. The Guardia Civil and Local Police have agreed to step up their collaboration to tackle the issue, which they said poses a risk to passengers and undermines the work of legal taxi drivers.
Finally, the board addressed the control of unauthorised street vending, which led to 28 police interventions in the first half of the year. In these operations, the Local Police seized counterfeit or abandoned goods. The National Police said they are ready to work jointly with the Local Police to combat this illegal activity once Adeje’s new beach patrol unit becomes operational in the coming months.
Conclusion
Mercedes Vargas Delgado, councillor for security, welcomed the meeting and said that “as a result of this session of the Local Security Board, we’ve agreed a number of action points for the coming months focusing on four main areas: the situation at Callao Sport, illegal settlements, unauthorised taxi activity, and unlicensed street vending. We’ll continue our joint work with the Guardia Civil regarding the hotel, strengthen coordination with the Canarian Police to protect the children living there, and also to tackle illegal transport activity, which is seriously harming the licensed taxi sector. We’ll also be launching a new operation with the National Police and Local Police to clamp down on unauthorised street sales. As for the settlements, we’ll be reporting the serious impact on the environment and on local archaeological heritage to the regional environmental agency.”
