The mayor of Vélez-Málaga, Francisco Delgado Bonilla, has dismissed the Chief of Local Police after a conflict with local market traders.
On Thursday, two Local Police patrols went to the site of the local market and instructed the traders to move their vehicles or face being fined and having them towed. This, naturally, caused a bit of a stir and the traders threatened to cut off traffic in the area.
The situation was finally settled after the intervention of the Councillor for Commerce, Patricia Cid, and the Councillor for the Local Police, Antonio Arrieta.
The local ordinance governing parking in the area on market day relates to vehicles parked in the plaza prior to the start of the market but excludes vehicles owned by the traders themselves. The ordinance had apparently been misinterpreted by the Local Police Chief.
The market day incident was the trigger for the dismissal of the Police Chief, José Andrés Montoya, although the decision was motivated by other actions and incidents. Montoya, who was appointed by decree by the previous mayor, will be assigned to other duties.