The locker of an officer from the Central Security Unit (UCS-2) of the Municipal Police of Madrid was found decorated with stickers bearing slogans such as 'Hitler fans' and 'Fascist zone'. The City Council has opened an information file.
An officer from the Central Security Unit (UCS-2), the riot police group based in Casa de Campo, is at the centre of a new scandal involving Nazi symbolism. His locker was covered with stickers featuring messages like “Hitler fans”, “Fascism is joy” and “Fascist zone!! Attention!!”. The images were shared on June 8 in an internal chat among officers, which was precisely discussing the presence of fascist ideology within the force.
The photograph was taken by another police officer and uploaded to the messaging group. Within hours, according to police sources, the stickers were removed. However, the conversation had already reached the higher-ups of the force, who activated an “information file”, as confirmed by the Security Delegation of the Madrid City Council, led by Inma Sanz, the second-in-command to José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
Unit with a controversial history
The UCS-2 is no stranger to controversy. During Manuela Carmena's term, the municipal government attempted to abolish it, considering that its functions (participating in evictions and monitoring demonstrations) were already covered by the National Police and that it had become a “nest of privileges”. The reduction of personnel and the loss of the salary supplement associated with that position generated significant discontent among the officers.
In 2016, this discontent led to a protest against then-Security Delegate Javier Barbero. About 300 officers surrounded his official car as he left a committee, shouting “fucking red”, “fat” or “dictator, son of a bitch”. They also assaulted a journalist. Barbero described the protest as “fascist”, which resulted in a lawsuit from the majority union, the Professional Collective of the Municipal Police (CPPM), which was eventually dismissed.
Secret investigation
Now, the City Council is hiding behind the secrecy of the internal investigation to avoid clarifying whether the investigation is into the locker owner, the officer who shared the photos, or both. A municipal spokesperson simply states that if Internal Affairs detects any wrongdoing, a disciplinary file will be opened. Police sources claim that both the photographer and the neo-Nazi officer have already given statements. Meanwhile, political opposition and social groups are demanding exemplary measures against the infiltration of the far-right within the ranks of the Municipal Police of Madrid.
For the residents of Madrid, this episode represents a cold shower on trust towards a force that should ensure the safety of all, without distinctions. The lingering question is whether the information file will result in a real sanction or end up in another drawer of oblivion. Time, and the investigation, will tell.
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