The challenge of combating multi-recidivism
There is no doubt that combating the phenomenon of repeated theft is one of the priority objectives of the security forces, because beyond the specific damage caused by each robbery, it provokes a strong sense of insecurity, which ultimately also damages coexistence. In Catalonia, 23 thefts occur every hour, ten of them in Barcelona, which is the epicenter of this type of crime. The ARA (Argentine National Police) attempts to address this reality through a dossier that aims to identify its causes and also the solutions that can be implemented.
Regarding the causes, in addition to poverty and exclusion, which must always be combated, it seems quite clear that the combined action of the police and the justice system at the present time does not constitute a sufficiently significant deterrent. "It pays to steal" is a common phrase used by police commanders when referring to the 500 repeated offenders operating in Barcelona, the vast majority of whom are old acquaintances of the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police). There are also social and drug-related factors, of course, but it must be admitted that an effective way to discourage this type of crime has not yet been found. For many of them, it's a way of life, and they feel that sentences and even occasional jail time are not sufficient reasons to quit. It's important to keep in mind that a single crime can earn a lot of money, especially in a city like Barcelona, full of high-income tourists who carry valuable items, such as watches worth over €100,000.
In response to this, the justice system is working to speed up speedy trials, and the Mossos d'Esquadra are making more and more arrests. But the time lag is still too great. A speedy trial that should be held in two weeks can end up taking even more than a year. The city of Barcelona, and especially the areas with the greatest influx of tourists, is the scene of a kind of great game of cat and mouse between police and robbers. The numbers are slowly declining since their peak in 2019, but it's clear there's still a lot of work to be done, and, as is happening in some places like the airport, criminals are also adapting and moving their activities to less-monitored areas.
Given this, what can be done? Well, as always, there are no magic solutions, but it is true that we must end the feeling of impunity, the classic "they come in one way and out the other" mentality, which stems from the fact that these are not serious crimes and that it is not always easy to calculate the value of stolen items, which is a key variable in being able to send them to prison. Crime will likely never be reduced to zero in a city like Barcelona, but we can send the message that the police are committed and that justice is swift and decisive. It will also be necessary to invest in social programs for those who want to leave this lifestyle behind and reintegrate. And above all, we must ignore those who claim they have Trump-style miracle solutions, because that's a lie.
