A scandal has erupted in the Seville municipality after it was revealed that a single doctor from the insurance company Asisa issued 290 temporary disability certificates for local police officers. Since the beginning of the year, 609 such cases have been registered, nearly half of them signed by this one specialist. The city authorities have already reported the incident to the insurer, but an official investigation has yet to begin.
Asisa itself admits it is reviewing the information received but points out certain difficulties: due to confidentiality, the company cannot access patients’ personal files or analyze the relationship between the doctor and those under their care. So far, no disciplinary action has been taken and the doctor has not been suspended.
Conflict surrounding the police
The situation escalated against the backdrop of open confrontation between the municipality and police officers. Authorities activated a special emergency plan for the Christmas holiday period to keep order on the streets, but this move sparked sharp discontent among police staff. On the very first weekend of the plan, only one in three officers reported for duty.
Unions believe that publishing the information on sick leave is an attempt to pressure the police. SPPM union leader Luis Val stresses that the Asisa doctor was only issuing absence certificates, while official sick leaves must be signed by doctors from the regional health service. He also questions who signed the other 400 absence documents.
Union Response
Among union representatives, there is a belief that the mayor, José Luis Sanz, is deliberately portraying the police in a negative light. According to Csif union leader Santiago Raposo, the core problem is a lack of planning: nearly the entire overtime budget—17 million euros—was spent in the first half of the year. As a result, by year’s end, there were almost no funds left to pay for work during the holiday period.
Last week, the opposition approved an additional five million euro loan to cover outstanding overtime payments. However, even with this funding, resources remained insufficient. The municipality asked political parties to back a Christmas security plan, but their request was denied. The opposition accused the mayor of poor planning and of authorizing more events than the police could safely cover.
Emergency Action Plan
With limited funding and personnel, authorities decided to implement an emergency plan typically reserved for natural disasters. This would have allowed between 400 and 500 police officers to patrol the streets in three shifts. However, on key dates—such as the city’s Christmas lights ceremony and the football match between Sevilla and Betis—only 233 out of the planned 682 officers reported for duty.
As a result, the city is facing a severe shortage of police officers on the streets during the busiest time of the year. Authorities are still seeking solutions, while unions are demanding changes to management policies and funding.
