Head of Mossos d'Esquadra police Josep Lluís Trapero removed from post

Catalan interior minister Joan Ignasi Elena has decided to remove Josep Lluís Trapero from his post as the head of the Mossos d'Esquadra police force, as was made public on Monday.

Trapero was the head of Catalan police from 2013 to 2017, during the push for independence, after which he was forced to step down. Accused of sedition by Spain's public prosecutor for not stopping the October 1 vote, he was acquitted last year and reinstated three weeks later. 

Josep Maria Estela becomes new head of Mossos No falling out

Josep Maria Estela, the chief commissioner of Camp de Tarragona, has been announced as Trapero's replacement. 

Aged 51, Estela has a law degree from the University of Lleida as well as a public policy and security master's from Catalonia's Open University, where he also completed a program in public safety leadership and management. 

He has been an officer since 1994, worked in 6 of Catalonia's 9 police regions, and taught at the Mossos d'Esquadra academy. Estela has been the head of the Terres de l'Ebre and Camp de Tarragona police regions, as well as deputy head in Ponent, chief inspector in Bages, and a sergeant in Pallars Sobirà, among other posts.

In 2014, he participated in a Council of Europe torture prevention program alongside police from Albania. 

Rosa Bosch and Eduard Sallent, both aged 49, will be joining Estela in senior management positions. 

Bosch has a degree in tourism and completed a postgraduate program in security policy. She has been in the Mossos police force since 1995. From 2008 to 2012, Bosch headed the Sant Feliu de Llobregat police area before heading the international cooperation department. In 2019, Bosch was named deputy head of the general department for institutional relations, prevention, and mediation.

Sallent has a degree in philosophy and was the head of the Mossos police from June 2019 to November 2020, when Trapero was reinstated after his acquittal. Sallent has also headed the force's general department for institutional relations, prevention, and mediation as well as the southern Barcelona area police region. He has taught classes in police deontology and human rights. 

No falling out 

Interior minister Elena said that there had not been any fallout with Trapero, who he said had served with "expertise and dedication." He thanked the departing chief for his efforts, mentioning the key role he played in the aftermath of the 2017 terror attacks on La Rambla in Barcelona and in Cambrils.

Elena, however, said it was time for "a new team and a new generation," and he wants to see "new leadership."

The new police chief commissioner Josep Maria Estela made a commitment to "make decisions collectively and work as a team," saying "I" must be banished in favor of "we". He also stressed the need for the police to "be attentive to changes in society" and remember their duty to "serve the people." One of his goals, he added, will be to encourage female talent in the force.

Socialists: "mistake"

The main opposition party in the Catalan parliament criticized the interior ministry's decision to sack Trapero. The Socialists' new spokesperson, Èlia Tortolero, described the move as a "mistake". "Changing the direction of the Mossos now does not seem like a good decision," she said.