Pedro Velázquez: "Drugs are the great battle for cities like Barcelona"

BarcelonaPedro Velázquez (Barcelona, ​​1967) has been the head of Barcelona's Guardia Urbana (municipal police) since 2019, a force he joined more than three decades ago. After years of rising crime rates, the indicators began to decline, especially those for robberies. But insecurity remains among the top concerns of Barcelona residents.

What's going wrong?

— The concept of security is broad and goes beyond criminal activity. The statistics are positive and have an impact on perceptions, but they are not enough. Today, the police cannot be satisfied with simply managing crime. We must focus on other areas such as managing community relations and vulnerabilities, the state of public spaces... However, it also seems that the perception of security is changing.

How was your summer?

— The truth is, it's been very positive. There haven't been any significant serious incidents, and we've managed to maintain this improvement in the indicators, which show that crime has decreased by around 3%.

One of the factors that generates insecurity is the feeling of impunity among repeat offenders. Why does this happen?

— The Penal Code is what it is. We operate under a legal system that is quite lenient with this type of behavior, and criminals know it. What can we do about it? Understand the phenomenon very well. We know who they are, what times they operate, and in what areas. The increased judicial oversight and police coordination are making a significant difference.

What profile do these repeat offenders have?

— There is a very high percentage of vulnerable individuals. And drug use also has an impact. There are also more sophisticated criminals and more organized structures.

Does pressure displace crime away from Barcelona?

— The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) should explain it better, but it's difficult for us to understand. Police pressure in Barcelona is extremely high. And, just as we sometimes create tension in the Ciutat Vella area and feel it in other districts, the same thing happens in the metropolitan area. The plan Kanpai It tries to minimize that displacement with a metropolitan vision.

How is the integration into the SIRAJ system progressing, allowing for the consultation of a person's police and judicial records throughout the State?

— The SIRAJ system gives us an edge in preparing police reports to determine if we can classify someone as a repeat offender. Since September, this has happened with about twenty people. It also allows us to gather advance information to fine-tune our police efforts.

What stage is the new unit that will be attached to the Prosecutor's Office at?

— The agreement has already been approved by the State Attorney General's Office. We are the first local police force to have this, at the express request of the Attorney General. Thanks to this new development, we will be able to share all our knowledge with the Attorney General's Office, and it will certainly be a valuable tool in combating repeat offenses. The process is well underway, and the team will consist of five officers and a commanding officer.

Has the relationship with the Mossos d'Esquadra improved since the change of government in the Generalitat?

— Politics shouldn't influence our decisions in this regard. What we can say is that we're in a very positive moment, which will surely materialize shortly in a review of the coordination agreement. The Municipal Police have modernized and grown. We want to expand our responsibilities in areas we believe can improve service in the city.

What competition would you like to have?

— We would like to make it clearer that we must be able to investigate without hindrance. I'm not referring to large drug trafficking networks, but local police forces possess knowledge of what's happening in neighborhoods that can be very important for those investigating at other levels. Providing information and generating intelligence: this is crucial. We also want to be able to handle complaints of any kind and not have to tell a victim of gender-based violence to change police stations. We want to expand our capabilities in ways that we believe can improve service in the city.

The Guardia Urbana is investigating drug dens again.

— Yes. These past few months, when we've been limited, have been tough, because while we were getting organized, crime continued. Right now, we're working normally with the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police).

How many drug dens are there in the city?

— The number has dropped significantly. It's less than 10 now. We've been seeing figures of 50 or 60. It's currently under some control. Criminals are evolving. Before, they occupied apartments, and now they rent them legally, which makes it a bit more difficult for us to recover them.

The number of drug dens is decreasing, but the drug market continues to grow. How has this evolved?

— Drugs are the biggest problem in large cities. In some countries, there is drug overproduction: cocaine producers are at record highs. This is compounded by a perfect storm in which Catalonia has become a major cannabis-producing region. If we add to this the processing of synthetic drugs and the fact that Barcelona is a port city, it puts us at significant risk. The Barcelona City Police have increased public health arrests by 30% compared to 2024. All police forces understand that this is the biggest battle.

What to do with the drugs that come in through the port?

— It's not my area of expertise, but from what I know, I can assure you that the fight against this is brutal. Everyone is deeply involved.

Have you noticed any changes in drug use habits?

— The only change in habits we've noticed is that more drugs are being inhaled than injected. We've seen a significant decrease in the number of syringes collected in the city.

On La Rambla, it is becoming increasingly common to find people offering drugs.

— Those people, whom we call pointersIt doesn't usually carry drugs, but it does allow us to track where it's being offered.

Has fentanyl arrived in Barcelona?

— Fortunately, we have no evidence of that at the moment.

In recent months we have experienced some shootings in the EixampleIs organized crime proliferating or are these isolated incidents?

— We must say that these are isolated incidents. Since January, there have been about ten incidents involving firearms. I'm not talking about shootings. And all of these situations are primarily related to the drug trade.

Why do people now feel the need to carry weapons when in many cases they didn't before?

— We've been trying to answer this question for two or three years. Firearms represent a negligible number, but we've noticed an increase in incidents involving bladed weapons. We've seized almost 2,000 in the first half of the year, and prevention isn't always so easy. Doing a little bit of zoom We see that these incidents are not linked to robberies. They mainly occur in the late hours of the night and are often associated with alcohol and drugs, as a way of resolving differences.

Are you worried about minors who sometimes carry weapons?

— We've encountered certain incidents that we could associate with some kind of urban youth group. This is a phenomenon not exclusive to Barcelona, ​​but rather to the metropolitan area, and it also needs to be addressed with social services and outreach workers because we're finding people who are under the age of majority. These are very heterogeneous groups that we can't link to any specific nationality.

One issue that some residents are linking to insecurity is the settlements.

— It's an extremely complex issue that we must address from a social perspective. But we are finding that when these people concentrate in certain areas of the city, it creates an additional problem. There are many people in dire straits who earn a living collecting scrap metal or doing other odd jobs and who live in the settlements, but there are also people who commit crimes and end up fighting, harassing passersby, and making exclusive use of the space they occupy. Decentralizing the settlements can help us reduce the pressure in certain areas. The only condition I often set is that all social avenues be exhausted, and in Barcelona, ​​in this regard, there is a robust policy in place.

The plenary session left them without Taser guns. Are they disappointed?

— The Barcelona Municipal Police must have the resources to handle all types of situations, and we lack an intermediate tool between the baton and the firearm. We had guarantees that its use would be limited and controlled. I believe we've missed an opportunity, and that, ultimately, another time will come when we'll have to revisit these issues.

The renewal of the coexistence ordinance is pending. Is it necessary?

— Yes. Managing coexistence also requires administrative tools. Things have evolved over the last 20 years, and behaviors have emerged that we believe should be addressed.

Should Barcelona have more cameras?

— For us, they are a fundamental tool. Right now, there are about 160 cameras in Barcelona, which is a small number compared to other cities. In Nice, for example, there are 3,500. First, they have a deterrent effect. And, furthermore, if a crime is committed nearby, the recording can be retrieved and used as evidence. The installation is subject to very strict regulations, and therefore, we should rest assured regarding privacy. We must remember that these are not cameras that someone is constantly watching. They record, but the video is only retrieved if necessary.