Fewer repeat offenders, but they steal more: the five thieves who have stopped 189 robberies in one year

BarcelonaInsecurity is the main problem for Barcelona residents, with almost 29% of the Catalan capital's inhabitants thinking so. The police and their political leaders often stress that these are perceptions and argue that the data do not always match this feeling of the citizens. In the case of Barcelona, ​​​​crime fell in 2024 to the point of reaching the lowest figure since 2016 (always ignoring the pandemic period). This means that last year 180,342 crimes were committed in the city - more than 20 every hour - a figure that is equivalent to almost 10,000 fewer crimes than in 2023 and 34,000 fewer than in 2019. The assessment of the mayor of Barcelona, ​​​​Jaume Collboni, is one of caution. "It is the beginning of the consolidation of a new trend. The recipe is working," said Parlon after the local Security Board of Barcelona.

The key to the decline is the considerable decrease in property crimes, especially thefts, which are the most common in Barcelona. On the other hand, crimes against people, such as injuries, mistreatment or sexual assault, rose during 2024, which could explain the negative perception that citizens have about the evolution of crime. "We are aware of this, and we are acting with determination," said Collboni about this perception. "Perceptions are not as good as the data is beginning to be," added Parlon in this regard. Property crimes are strictly linked to the phenomenon of multiple repeat offenders, those thieves who live off stealing and who accumulate many criminal records and many arrests without going to prison. Robberies and thefts are decreasing, but the data show that multiple repeat offenders are still a problem.

Multiple repeat offenders

In 2024, 452 repeat offenders have been identified, almost a hundred fewer than in 2023, who have committed 9,114 crimes, almost 4,000 more than in 2023. In other words, there are fewer, but they steal more. These people have been arrested 3,598 times, and the five most active have 354 criminal records and 189 arrests. That is, 37 arrests per person in a single year, just over one arrest per week. In this case, patrol hours against repeat offenders increased by 17% and so did identifications, by 31%. Almost half of the stolen objects, 41%, are mobile phones. However, the problem also remains in the courts, where there is a blockage of the speedy trials that repeat offenders should face.

This Friday, the main police and political leaders of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Guardia Urbana and the Spanish police forces met at Barcelona City Hall to take stock of the crime figures for the last year at a Security Council meeting. The summary is similar to that of 2023: Police pressure is managing to reduce property crimes, starting with theft. If 20 crimes are committed every hour in Barcelona, half of them are thefts. In 2024, 94,517 thefts of this type were recorded, 6.3% less than the previous year, which was already on the decline. Such a low number of thefts had not been seen (leaving, again, the covid era out of the equation) since 2014.

Robberies with force also decreased by 16.5%: both those in which the thief forces the door of a vehicle (the vast majority) and robberies. On the contrary, robberies with violence and intimidation in establishments (a textbook robbery) increased by 11.7%: 1,136 were committed. On the other hand, other types of robbery with violence decreased. In this regard, Parlon has pointed out that the data for the second half of 2024 are even more positive: a reduction of 9.7% compared to the same period in 2023.

What largely explains these declines is the increase in police pressure and better coordination between forces, according to Collboni. "The positive change has been noted with the new administration," he said about the fact that the socialists now govern the Generalitat. In 2024, 1,230 more arrests were made than in 2023, an increase of 4.5%, and 6.3% more people have been investigated. 9% more devices have also been carried out, often linked to the prevention of home burglaries, nightlife and public transport (where crimes have decreased by 37% compared to the pre-pandemic period). In fact, the Mossos have created a new plan, called "Confidence", not only to prevent crimes and arrest those responsible, but also to "show the criminal reality of the city" to residents.

Crimes against persons

Of the total crimes committed in Barcelona, ​​86% are against property and 8% against people. The latter type includes homicides, sexual assaults, assaults, mistreatment, threats, coercion... and all of them increased in 2024. It is one of the negative figures in a balance sheet that presents, in most indicators, positive data. Homicides remain practically the same (12 were committed in 2023 and 11 have been recorded in 2024), but assaults have increased by 8.7% (from 4,481 to 4,871), sexual assaults by 4% (from 1,10934 to 2,260). In the area of ​​sexual violence, one in five incidents occurs in the family environment and 10% more arrests have been made.

Regarding this increase, Parlon admitted that there is "greater conflict" on the street and they will continue to work on these crimes in which prevention is more difficult. In this regard, the Deputy Mayor for Security, Albert Batlle, pointed out that the Daga plan, which provides for the removal of knives, is in line with ending fights. In 2024, within the framework of the Daga Plan, 3,371 knives have been seized, 29% more, dedicating 76% more patrol hours.

Drugs

Other crimes that are on the rise are those linked to drugs, which have increased by 12%. Above all, the police forces are focusing on drug flats, with a great prominence in the Raval neighbourhood. During 2024, 166 drug flats have been dismantled and 47 homes have been returned to their owners in Barcelona, ​​​​since many are occupied premises. The number of people arrested for drug trafficking, related to this type, amounts to 343 during the past year. During this period, 379 kg of marijuana, 357 kg of hashish, 21 kg of cocaine, 15 kg of MDMA, 7 kg of amphetamines, 1.7 kg of ketamine, 408 grams of crack and 98 grams of heroin have also been seized.