New plan by the Mossos d'Esquadra to tackle repeated offenses: more Arro and Brimo officers on the streets

BarcelonaThe Catalan police have launched a new plan to combat the phenomenon of multiple reoffending. It's called the Kanpai plan and replaces the current Tremall plan, following an extensive analysis by the new Catalan police leadership. As explained this Sunday by the ARA in a dossier on multiple recidivismThe Kanpai plan will be launched in the coming days and will begin outside of Barcelona city, as it will be implemented in metropolitan areas. According to Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police), one of the new features is that the public order units, the Arro (Arro Police) and the Mobile Brigade (Brigade Mobile), will be incorporated into citizen security efforts. In other words, they will "saturate" critical areas more to "eliminate the feeling of impunity," also identifying potential suspects. This is a long-term plan, and Mossos d'Esquadra sources already warn that it will not immediately reduce the figures. However, the number of property crimes is falling, and in 2024, Barcelona recorded its lowest theft rate of the decade.

It's only a matter of hours before the effects of the new plan, which will see increased police presence on the streets to prevent crime and improve the sense of security, begin to be felt. "We need to see each other more," say Catalan police sources. The Kanpai plan comes after the Tremall plan was cancelled, and entails an evolution—the Urban Crime Groups, also known as "hurones," who are plainclothes officers, will continue to play a key role—and a review of the measures that were in place until now. The analysis of the phenomenon carried out by police headquarters, and led by Superintendent Toni Rodríguez, concludes that it is necessary to further defragment the police structure and work beyond the regions and basic police areas. In other words, to further "integrate" the services. From now on, they will also intensify the task of studying the criminal records of repeat offenders and will attempt to improve the databases and the resulting police knowledge.

Another new feature is that the National Police are now being added to the plan to combat multiple reoffending (they were already involved in operations under the Tremall plan). Above all, they will act within their jurisdictions regarding immigration and documentation, but also to curb the arrival of itinerant groups, which especially come to Catalonia during major events or conferences. In fact, attacking these groups is one of the priorities of the Kanpai plan. "We must be more proactive in arresting them and we must try to get ahead of them," say Mossos d'Esquadra sources.

Deficiencies

One of the keys to understanding the phenomenon of multiple recidivism, according to Mossos d'Esquadra sources, is that the system does not sufficiently deter multiple recidivists, thieves who have made robbery their way of life. On the one hand, the police conclude that the punishment for multiple recidivists, which often involves arrest, is insufficient, and that the subsequent judicial blockage, with long waiting lists for speedy trials, does not contribute to this sense of impunity. In parallel with the implementation of the new plan, the Mossos d'Esquadra are in constant talks with the judiciary to address it.

The Catalan police force believes the system doesn't punish well and does so too narrowly. That is, there is a rigidity, particularly linked to a Penal Code that is outdated, making it difficult for the justice system and also for the police to innovate in the punishments for repeated offenders. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) cite as an example the legislation of other countries, such as France and Germany, where a broader range of penalties and punishments exists. They point out that punishment must be sufficient and probable, and lament that the current judicial system is anachronistic. For example, they believe it would be interesting to find ways to repair damages beyond convictions.

A multifaceted phenomenon

But the police also believe that the system is failing to offer alternatives and entice repeat offenders to stop living outside the law. We are talking about a multifaceted conflict, where social services also play a key role—with the new plan, the Mossos d'Esquadra also want to collaborate—but also prisons and the Prosecutor's Office. In fact, this is one of the system's shortcomings that the police have detected in this extensive analysis: that there is a great deal of fragmentation in the administration to combat the phenomenon. The permanent commission created with the Department of Justice, in the opinion of the Mossos d'Esquadra, is on the right path to consolidating actions.

The Mossos d'Esquadra, however, also focus on internal actions. For example, they explain that they have conducted a self-criticism of the work done so far, which is why they have decided to reorganize certain resources. They also warn that these plans must be implemented with a long-term perspective, not one of immediacy. This doesn't mean that the work done so far, which has reduced the data on property crimes, has been amended. However, in Barcelona there are still 452 multiple repeat offenders who committed 9,114 crimes in 2024. The five most active accumulated 189 arrests in a single year, up to 37 each.

According to the Mossos d'Esquadra, it's also not possible to assume that multiple repeat offenders fit a single profile. There are those who act out of necessity, come from marginalized backgrounds, and are often drug addicts. But they warn that this group is not the majority. There is a second group that has decided to turn to crime despite having the possibility of quitting it, and a third group of professionals. "We can't work the same way with drug addicts as with professionals," the Mossos d'Esquadra warn. Furthermore, they warn that the most visible type of multiple repeat offending is robbery, but there are others, such as drug trafficking or the underground economy.