Huesca.- The Security Board of Fraga, in extraordinary session, has established the police device for the celebration on July 25 of the Monegros Desert Festival. The meeting has agreed on police collaboration and coordination for the control of citizen security and traffic during that day, for which an influx of more than 50,000 people is expected, and for which the usual special operation of the Civil Guard will be deployed.
The Extraordinary Local Security Board of Fraga has been chaired by the mayor of the town, Ignacio Gramún, and by the subdelegate of the Government in Huesca, José Carlos Campo. Also participating were the mayor of Candasnos, Santiago Guallarte, whose municipality is affected by the festival; and representatives of the Territorial Delegation of the Government of Aragón, the Civil Guard, the National Police, the Autonomous Community Police and the Fraga Local Police.
The Civil Guard will carry out a wide deployment in the area with reinforcement units from other provinces, as well as with the presence of different specialized units (cavalry squadron, cinological service, air media, Seprona…) and support from the French Gendarmerie, both in terms of security and traffic.
As a novelty, the international collaboration is extended in this edition with the incorporation of agents of the Italian Carabinieri, so that the attention to the nationals of that country, the third largest number of visitors to the festival, will be improved. The device will also be reinforced with the specific activation for the Geo Alert festival of the Alertcops system, a tool of the mobile application of the State Security Forces and Bodies that allows to establish discreetly a direct communication with the security device deployed in the event.
This special operation will be aimed at traffic regulation and road safety control; the preservation of public safety and public order, and the prevention of crimes against public health and heritage.
To the usual points of attention, special vigilance has been added in recent editions on the theft of mobile phones. This is a recurring problem in events with a large influx of people, which in the previous edition of the festival ended with 60 device recoveries. The focus will also be on the subtraction of gold chains, another recurring typology in festivals and parties. Therefore, it is recommended that the assistants adopt preventive measures to prevent this type of crime.
For its part, the Local Police will be deployed in the urban center and will accompany the technical services in the review of the premises, while the Seconded Police will supervise compliance with the autonomous regulations of public shows.
The deputy delegate of the Government in Huesca, José Carlos Campo, has thanked the important coordination effort and means made by all the police forces involved in the event. In addition, he wanted to express a recognition “for his dedication and commitment to the Bajo Cinca” to the captain of the Company of Fraga, Rubén Calle, who in the coming weeks will leave the position to assume a new destination in the Armed Institute.
Restriction on heavy vehicle traffic
In order to strengthen road safety and traffic fluidity, in anticipation of a massive influx of vehicles, the Provincial Traffic Headquarters has established a restriction for heavy vehicles of more than 3,500 kg. in the N-II and the AP-2 as they pass through the immediate surroundings of the Monegros Desert Festival. The trucks will not be able to travel on the N-II between the kilometer points 394,500 and 431,00 or on the AP-2 in the direction of the N-II through exits 67 and 114 in both directions, from 08:00 on Saturday, July 25 until 20:00 on Sunday, July 26.