sate,

  • Having your passport stolen while away can ruin your entire holiday. As well as the inconvenience of obtaining an emergency travel document from the Consulate in Alicante, which is only valid for that one journey, there is the cost involved – 131€ which is approx 95 pounds sterling dependent on the exchange rate. This is very possibly the actual cost of your return flight as well as a putting a big dent in your spending money while here! Then on your return back to the UK you have to re-apply for a brand new passport, a further 72.50 GBP... so keeps your safe.

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  • A POLICE officer from Benidorm has been sentenced to six months in prison followed by 3 months suspension without pay and 1,440€ fine – for using a police issued mobile phone to make personal phone calls.

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  • Since taking office, the new Benidorm Mayor, Toni Perez is certainly pressing ahead with improvements to the town. Yesterday he announced a proposal to move the SATE office – currently on the first floor of El Torrejo at the very end of the Levante beach in the Old Town to the Rincon de Loix, at the top of Calle Gerona.

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  • A slight ‘glitch’ in the recruitment process for the annual temporary beach police in Benidorm has come to light, but Lorenzo Martinez, Councilor for Security has made assurances that they will be in place in time for Easter – wonder if he knows it’s next week! All candidates, of which there are around 150, have to sit strict exams but it transpires that one of the multiple choice tests had the correct answer marked after the ink from the carbon copy template transferred onto the paper.

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  • The British Ambassador, Simon Manley CMG, spent the day in Benidorm yesterday as part of a two day trip to the Alicante Province. Sarah-Jane Morris, the British Consul and Lloyd Millen, Vice Consul who is based in the Alicante Consulate, accompanied the Ambassador on his visit.

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  • Did these two chaps, dressed as bobbies at last years British Fancy Dress Day have an inkling of things to come - well read on! The police exchange program witnessed in Magaluf and San Antonio this summer could well be extended to Benidorm next year. Seeing a British bobby patrolling on Calle Gerona and around the English Square, where a high concentration of British holidaymakers head could become a reality according to Juan Carlos Moragues.

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  • Have you been a victim of crime while here in Benidorm? More importantly, did you report it? Despite promises it is both disappointing and probably expected that the new SATE officeand police station in the Rincon de Loix will NOT be ready this year. The SATE office is a special centre where you report crime and manned by the National Police but currently located in the Old Town. Initially Easter was the target for the new one, then moved on to Summer – now construction will not even begin until after the end of the busy holiday season, with a ‘planned’ opening in early 2017. A budget has been allocated but the estimate has not yet been approved, which is what is delaying the start of the building works.

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  • Originally promised last Easter, then postponed to summer 2017, at long last the new SATE Office in the Rincon de Loix has finally opened. There was meant to be a grand opening ceremony this morning, with the Interior Minister present but mysteriously it was cancelled and the office just opened unannounced! Not even the British Consulate was aware or in fact, invited! Located on Calle Derramador, directly opposite the Flash Hotel (at the beginning of Calle Gerona) it is also home to the Tourist Information Office. SATE stands for “El Servicio de Atención al Turista Extranjero” which roughly translated means the Foreign Tourist Assistance Office… the place to go to report a crime!

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  • The forthcoming protest rally in Benidorm, which is taking place on Monday is certainly causing ripples at the Town Hall. The event has been instigated by British ex-pat Karen Cowles in order to “Protect our Tourism”. Crime is nothing new and certainly not isolated to Benidorm - all high tourist destinations suffer the same. But many are now put off coming due to the reputation it is gaining of rising crime rates and lack of action taken by the police and authorities.

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  • Since its opening in June, figures revealed yesterday show that the SATE office assisted 1280 people up to the end of last year. SATE stands for "El Servicio de Atención al Turista Extranjero" - hence the abbreviation, which roughly translated means the Foreign Tourist Assistance Office. This is where you should go to file a report if you are in the unfortunate situation of being a victim of crime.

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  • Summer has most certainly arrived – the sun is out, the resort is bustling and the beaches are packed. But just because you’re on holiday and relaxed do not let your guard down. Sadly crime happens everywhere and Benidorm is no exception, but if you use your common sense and keep your wits about you, then you should have an incident free time here.
    The Latin saying ‘praemontius, praemunitus’ is very apt and loosely translated means ‘forewarned is forearmed’… if you know about a problem in advance, you will be able to deal with it. Awareness of a situation, especially a risky one prepares you to handle it should the situation arise.

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  • As the issue of security and what are deemed ‘safe resorts’ come to the forefront ahead of the busy holiday season, tour operators are warning that there will be a shortage of sunshine hotspots to places such as Spain, Portugal and Italy in response to terror attacks. Holiday companies have already seen bookings to Spain up by nearly 40% against last year’s figures and as demand rises for limited places, so inevitably will prices. Security here in the resort has been a contentious issue, thankfully not terrorism related, but lack of policing in general around known ‘crime’ hotspots and boisterous party areas.

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  • Work has at long last begun on the new SATE office in the Rincon de Loix. SATE stands for "El Servicio de Atención al Turista Extranjero" - hence the abbreviation, which roughly translated means the Foreign Tourist Assistance Office. This is where you should go to file a report if you are in the unfortunate situation of being a victim of crime. There was much criticism when the current one was opened in the Old Town back in 2013 – with virtually everyone in agreement that it was the wrong place. But to everyone's shock and amazement, workmen and a digger arrived this morning to begin the construction – which is estimated to take up to five months. It will be located beside the current tourist information office on Calle Derramador – opposite the Flash hotel. The Town Hall have promised that it will be fully operational for Spring.

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