The mayoress of Calpe, Ana Sala, has presented this morning the gold medal of the town of Calp to the widow and children of the police officer Juan Manuel Policarpo Moll, who died last September in the line of duty when he was trying to rescue a man trapped in his car by the water.
The ceremony, very emotional, was also attended by many colleagues of the Local Police of Calpe and was the first time that the City Council awarded this distinction, the highest award given by the municipality of Calpe. "Juan Manuel died doing his duty, saving a life, and for this reason, from this Town Hall and in the name of all Calp, we could not but award him the Gold Medal of the Town, the highest distinction granted by this Consistory and awarded for the first time", said the Mayoress of Calp, Ana Sala. A decision that was agreed by the plenary session last 10th October.
The Local Police officer Bertomeu Berenguer, colleague and friend of Poli has highlighted in his speech the love he had for his children and his family. "If he was not the best father, he was undoubtedly in the top ten" and recalled the night of 18 September as "the worst night of our lives". "I know that one day Poli and I will be back on patrol together and we will see each other again," he said.
The two sons of the deceased officer, Manuel and Carlos Policarpo Vives, also spoke, and were very emotional as they remembered their father and how much they miss him. "Life has taught me that from one day to the next it can change completely and can stop being wonderful and become a complete nightmare", said Manuel Policarpo, who emphasised that: "above all I am proud that you are my father; I will never forget you". His sister Neus Policarpo and his niece Denis Bañuls Policarpo also had words of remembrance.
The event was also attended by the Regional Secretary for Security and Emergencies and Director General of the Valencian Agency for Security and Emergency Response (AVSRE), José Miguel Ángel, the Commander-in-Chief of the Civil Guard in Calp, Jerónimo Pacheco, the Lieutenant Chief of the Main Post of the Civil Guard, Juan Carlos Cobo, the Head of the Civil Protection Unit of the Government Subdelegation in Alicante, Joaquina Faz, as well as members of the municipal corporation, the Local Police of Calp, Civil Protection of Calp and many neighbours.