For better community life: Civic Officers
Since April 2015, we have been tasked by the City Council with setting up and managing a stable unit of civic officers. This unit is part of a programme aimed at encouraging civic uses of public spaces and at ensuring compliance with the rules that promote positive community life. The goal is to make Barcelona a friendlier city where there is a greater sense of safety and dialogue between citizens and visitors alike.
Its main functions are promoting civic behaviour and carrying out dispute-prevention work in areas where Barcelona City Council needs action. The officers help to foster proper uses by providing information, raising awareness and giving out warnings and, where necessary, injunctions.
The services have been steadily increasing over the years. These days the Civic Officer Unit can be found in every one of the city’s districts. Worth mentioning is the support service at the Citizen Help and Information Offices, which has seen a significant rise in user numbers.
The unit has been playing a notable role in the fight against COVID-19 infection since 2020. Civic officers have become established as one of the main guarantors of compliance with the safety measures issued by the health authorities. It is here that we have collaborated with the various authorities in such notable services as the closure of beaches for the Revetlla de Sant Joan / Midsummer Eve’s celebrations, monitoring safety and citizen-support measures on All Saints’ Day, supervision of access points during regional voting in Catalonia and, as a priority, support in the vaccination process for the city’s population, with the management of queues and access points and in collaboration with the allocated health teams.