The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has chosen Commissioner José Luis Santafé Arnedo, until now senior chief of the National Police in the Balearic Islands, as the new deputy operational director (DAO) of the National Police, replacing him after learning of the complaint filed against him by a subordinate who accuses him of having sexually assaulted her in April 2025. With this decision, taken just a few hours after the open deadline for candidates to the Once they have presented their candidacies, Grande-Marlaska is trying to close the serious crisis that has opened in his ministry both due to the scandal that caused the forced departure of the former Chief of Police and due to the fact that the National Court is investigating.
The appointment of Commissioner Santafé – who will take office next week – has caused surprise in the Police, since since the complaint against his predecessor became known and the minister forced his resignation, the idea had permeated the Interior that the minister was going to opt, for the first time in history, for the symbolic weight he had, especially after . In fact, the name of Santafé (one of the 111 main commissioners who could apply for the position) did not appear in any of the pools.
In this sense, Interior sources point out that his election was influenced by the “good image” that Santafé has within the National Police itself, but also that he has spent most of his career outside of Madrid, precisely away from the internal rivalries of the capital. The new uniformed head of the Police has spent a large part of his professional career in the Balearic Islands, where he coincided with the current Secretary of State for Security, Aina Calvo, when she was a Government delegate in this community. From that stage a close relationship between the two was born, police sources agree that they attribute to the number two of the Interior a good part of the responsibility in the election of Santafé as the new DAO. The commissioner attended Calvo’s inauguration ceremony in Madrid as Secretary of State last December, in which she was full of praise for him and the other leaders of the security forces in that territory.
With this endorsement, Commissioner Santafé will have as his main mission in his new position to raise the morale of the more than 74,000 agents under his charge and restore the image of the institution, greatly affected since the scandal broke out that ended his predecessor in office and the audios of the high command stationed in the Spanish embassy in New Delhi were known. The new DAO, who according to some police sources maintained a good personal relationship precisely with González Jiménez, has dedicated a large part of his career to citizen security, that is, to directing public order and crime prevention groups, such as the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR).
Agents who have worked with him highlight, precisely, his knowledge of “the street and crime”, in addition to classifying him as “a good team manager”. “He commands respect, but he also knows how to be close to his subordinates,” he adds and they give as an example of the latter that “he knows the names of all the police officers who work at the Headquarters.” [Superior de Baleares]”Other agents consulted who have had a relationship with him highlight his “humility” and remember that, in September 2022, upon taking office as senior chief of the Balearic Islands, Santafé thanked those who had been his bosses throughout his career for “trusting once again in that boy from the Malasaña neighborhood [Madrid] who in the 80s wanted with all his might to be a police officer, in an environment that pushed him to end up being the complete opposite.”
Grande-Marlaska appoints chief commissioner José Santafé Arnedo deputy operational director of the .
📌 He joined the force in 1990 and since July 2022 he was head of the Balearic Islands.
— Ministry of the Interior (@interiorgob)
Santafé joined the Police in 1990 as an inspector and, since then, he has held “different jobs in the field of citizen security, judicial police and immigration in the higher headquarters of Madrid and the Balearic Islands,” highlights the note with which the Interior announced his appointment this Friday. In 2005 he was promoted to chief inspector and in 2012 he reached the rank of commissioner. In this category he assumed responsibilities in the Canary Islands and, again, in the Balearic Islands, where three years ago he became the head of the National Police in this community.
Unions applaud the election
After learning of his appointment, different police unions have issued statements applauding the choice. The Unified Police Union (SUP) has highlighted Santafé’s “career within the institution, with direct knowledge of the operational reality and the needs of colleagues on the street.” Police Justice (Jupol) has expressed hope that the arrival of Santafé to the DAO will allow “promoting a real change of direction in the police leadership, betting on regeneration, exemplarity and the recovery of the trust of both the agents themselves and the citizens” after the latest scandals. In the same sense, the Federal Police Union (UFP) has called on the new head of the force to “promote the changes that the National Police needs” and reinforce its image, “which in recent times has been unfairly deteriorated.”
Interior with the publication of the call to elect the replacement of the former police chief through the “free designation” system. It highlighted that it was “a special procedure presided over by the principle of speed,” which is why it set the deadline for candidates to submit their applications accompanied by their resumes through the intranet at just “seven business days,” “claiming the merits they deem appropriate.” This period ended at midnight last Thursday. Only agents who were main commissioners could aspire to the position – there were 89 men and 22 women with this rank – and who, in addition, were not “in a firm suspension of duties or in a situation of second activity.” [un retiro previo a la jubilación] due to insufficiency of psychophysical abilities.”
Grande-Marlaska admitted last week that what happened was “very serious”, but also that he could not “tolerate someone using this event to denigrate the reputation of the National Police”, in reference to certain criticisms launched by the opposition that pointed to alleged impunity on the part of high command. The minister then announced an “extraordinary” review of the internal protocols against sexual harassment in the National Police and the Civil Guard after admitting that the current ones had failed in this case.
