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Have you ever noticed how police officers in Spain are really tall? Not only because of the enormous, high boots they wear, but because there is actually a minimum height limit in order to be eligible to become a Spanish police officer.

 

That’s all about to change though. This Tuesday October 11, Spain’s Council of Ministers approved a new regulation for selective processes and training of the National Police Force that effectively removes the minimum height requirement.

 

Until now it was necessary to be at least 165 centimetres tall (5'5") in the case of male applicants and 1.60 (5'3") for future female officers, but this will no longer be a requirement for those who apply for the next selection processes for the police force in 2023.

 

However, the requirement to measure at least 165cm will still apply for entry into special police intervention units such as the UIP and UPR, and the Special Operations Group, the GEO.

 

According to Spain’s Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, in a statement last February, the aim is to break “one of the glass ceilings” that prevented women from joining the force, as the limit of 160 m was only two centimetres below the average height of a woman.

 

With this change, which was also demanded by the majority of police unions, the Spanish National Police force is now on a par with other civilian police forces in European countries, such as France, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Romania, Denmark and Germany.

 

In addition, the newly approved regulation is introducing other measures to increase the number of women in the National Police Force, shortly after a groundbreaking sexual equality bill was voted in nationwide.

 

From now on, applicants will be allowed to postpone their entrance tests if they are pregnant, giving birth, have just given birth or – in a new ruling that applies to men as well – are fostering or adopting a child.

 

According to the Interior Ministry, these measures are designed to increase the percentage of women aspiring to join the National Police. In 2019, 738 women (28.3%) out of the 2,606 approved candidates entered the Spanish police force, and in 2021 this percentage rose to 32.6% (758 women out of 2,328).

 

 

Image: Policía Nacional