Crime is a cause for concern. In fact, it is the first concern of the people of Barcelona and the third of the people of Catalonia. This does not mean that this is an unsafe country or that the situation is getting worse: last year ended with almost the same number of crimes as the previous year. It is not getting worse, but it is not getting better either. And scenes such as the hundreds of shots fired with war weapons in La Mina and some recent executions remind us that drug mafias continue to spread their tentacles that are lacking in different areas of our society. Tentacles that when we least expect it can trigger violence. Organised crime linked to drug trafficking is one of the most obvious problems facing police forces, which at the same time must also combat robberies, fraud – especially through new technologies – and theft. The police have work to do and are aware of it.
That's why it's worth talking about success stories like Banyoles, Gavà and Sant Quirze del Vallès, towns with more than 20,000 inhabitants that have managed to reduce crime the most. They are large enough for a variation in the number of complaints to be significant and can serve as an example. And among the lessons they provide there are two key ones: collaboration between local police and the Mossos d'Esquadra and the intelligent use of data.
It is not news that collaboration between police forces is beneficial, but it is clear that measures such as joint police stations and patrols make it easier and more agile and, therefore, more effective. Local police officers and Mossos d'Esquadra agents must be able to share information, methods and objectives, because it has been proven that it works. In addition, we are in the 21st century; therefore, we know how important information is both for different entities to collaborate and for preventing and combating crimes. The use of cameras to detect and track vehicle number plates and heat maps of robberies to decide where to send patrols are two clever examples of how police forces can use data and information. Always, of course, bearing in mind that it is necessary to respect citizens' privacy.
Beyond the sensationalist catastrophism that feeds the extreme right, it is worth putting on the table the real situation of crime in Catalonia and, above all, explaining what works to combat it. How can we avoid becoming a paradise for thieves or a narco-society. Because the danger is there, the criminal underworld exists, but so do the institutions, and they have mechanisms to combat it. This does not mean that we have to relax, on the contrary: we have to do more work. The Mossos d'Esquadra and the local police have an enormous challenge, but they are improving the mechanisms and techniques to address it. Reports such as today's, which explains how Banyoles, Gavà and Sant Quirze del Vallès combat crime, demonstrate this.
