Not only do the state police operate on the Costa del Sol, as in the rest of Spain, but also the regional police, answerable to the regional government, and the local police, answerable to the various Town Halls. There are two nation-wide police forces, the Guardia Civil and the Policía Nacional, although the latter have been replaced by regional forces in some autonomous communities. A National Police (Policía Nacional) station is referred to in Spanish as a ‘comisaría,’ and there are 41 of these in the province of Málaga. The Guardia Civil police station is called a ‘puesto de la Guardia Civil,’ a Guardia Civil post, and there are 66 of them in Málaga province. For other emergencies, there are 13 fire stations and 36 Red Cross (Cruz Roja) posts, although for any incident, it is advisable to call 091, which is the number for the National Police, the Policía Nacional.

The Policía Nacional belong to the Ministry for the Interior, and their brief is extensive, although fundamentally in charge of public security. They dress in blue uniforms with distinctive red and yellow markings, the colours of the Spanish flag.

The Guardia Civil belong to the Ministry for Defence, and although primarily in charge of road traffic, they also carry out many other police functions. They wear green uniforms.

The Policía Autonómica are a recent creation in Andalusia, and are still in the process of formation. They are answerable to the regional government and collaborate with the state police. Their colours reflect the Andalusian flag: white and green.

The Policía Local, or Local Police, are principally involved in maintaining public order and traffic in the streets of the towns in which they operate. Each municipality has its own Local Police force, and they wear blue uniforms with only the name of the force on them.

In practice, all these police forces work closely together in the interests of citizen security. The number of police officers in tourist areas is increased in the high tourist season, and in coastal municipalities, there are also Beach Police, called Policía de Playa. They have very specific duties relating to the beaches and the thousands of people that use them every summer.

The various police forces also employ interpreters for the benefit of foreign residents and visitors, and these are naturally concentrated in greater numbers in tourist areas during the summer season. And finally, foreigners need have no fear of taking any problem or making any query to a member of any police force: they will given immediate attention or be put in touch quickly with the relevant authority.