Rafa Mora tops local police exam with highest score in Spain

From reality TV star to top score in the local police exam

A man known for causing a stir on 'Sálvame' has just achieved the highest score in a local police recruitment exam. This is not a parody: these are the official records of the Pozuelo de Alarcón town council, made public on 2 October 2024. Rafa Sarracena, the Valencian reality TV personality who appeared on 'Mujeres y Hombres y Viceversa' and 'Supervivientes', has landed a position as an officer in one of the best-paid municipal police forces in Spain.

The shadow of favoritism

The news, however, comes with a trail of suspicion. Some analysts point out that his inner circle already has ties to the force and that his academic record gave little cause for optimism: when he talked about passing the entrance exam for Journalism, he boasted a 7.5 out of 14. For others, precisely because of that background, the high score can only be explained by serious study. The Pozuelo Local Police, considered one of the best-paid forces in Spain, has become a magnet for exam candidates.

A past that doesn't stay on set

The debate goes beyond the score. Episodes have surfaced that, if true, paint an uncomfortable picture: affinity with a far-right group, defense of the Franco family and an assault on a Civil Guard officer that ended with a 300-euro fine. No court has issued a final conviction for these incidents, and the man himself has made no statements, but the contradiction between the uniform and the record is striking. Meanwhile, others see his career as an example of reinvention: from the spotlight to the security of a civil service post.

From the TV set to the civil service

Sarracena's career change fits into a trend attracting growing attention: professionals with careers, trades or businesses swapping the private sector for a public post. 'Now everyone wants to live off the state's manna', some analyses sum up, seeing public employment as the last refuge of stability. In Sarracena's case, the decision doesn't seem to be financial: comments suggest he owns several rental apartments in Valencia and that his TV career left him with a financial cushion. At 43, the exam guarantees him something television no longer did: certainty.

Rafa Sarracena has his post. The question left hanging is not how he got it, but what a security force does with an officer whose face is more recognizable than the mayor's. Pozuelo, a municipality of tidy streets and discreet residents, will now have a police officer who was once a celebrity gossip star. Whether the uniform suits him better than the TV set, only time — and the incident reports — will tell.