Simon Hunter
A lack of height will no longer be an obstacle to budding recruits for Spain’s National Police force.
In a bid to attract more women to the force, the Spanish Cabinet has done away with the 1.65 metre minimum height for male applicants and 1.60 metres for women. The change will go into force from 2023.
According to comments made in February by Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the aim is to break the “glass ceiling” for women. The current limit is just two centimetres below the average female height, according to figures cited by Spanish daily El Mundo.
The height requirements will, however, remain in place for anyone applying to special units such as riot police or Spain’s GEO elite police force.
The rule changes introduced will also allow potential male and female recruits to delay their application should they be expecting a child or have newborn babies, among other reasons.
Currently, women account for 17% of the total number of National Police officers.
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