Barcelona's alleged security crisis exaggerated by media ‘echo chamber’, says expert
“These are not new problems, they have been around for a longer period of time”, says criminology lecturer Steven Kemp
pickpockets
A hundred pickpockets operate every day on Barcelona's metro
Theft on the public underground network accounts for a third of such crimes in the Catalan capital
Crime in Barcelona on increase, says city council
Opposition groups call for "solid measures" against rise, accusing security councillor of "not doing enough"
Pickpocket theft on Barcelona's metro down by 34% since 2011 as police initiative succeeds
Xarxa, an initiative launched by Barcelona's City Council and the Catalan Government in July 2011 to combat petty theft on Barcelona's metro, has managed to reduce criminal activity by 34% in 3 years. Between June 2013 and June 2014, 17,156 robberies that took place in the underground rail network were reported by travellers. This represents a significant improvement from the 26,130 reported crimes in 2011, out of 389 million journeys that were taken on the metro that year. This drop of criminal activity – mostly pickpocketing – has been due to the success of the combined pressure from the Catalan and Barcelonan local police forces, known as the Mossos d'Esquadra and Guàrdia Urbana respectively. Just 100 repeat offenders are responsible for the 4,417 arrests and 3,181 charges from pickpocketing on the Barcelona's metro. 18 of these criminals have been totally banned from entering the underground rail network.
Human statues will move to the lowest part of Barcelona’s Rambla
Barcelona City Council will apply a tax in order to exercise the profession, aiming for more professionalism. The reform also wants to regulate an activity that on some occasions blocks the circulation of pedestrians in the middle parts of Les Rambles.
The metro's heroine, Eliana Guerrero, protecting passengers from pick pocketing
Barcelona, the so called 'Pick pocketing Capital of Europe' takes small steps to changing its reputation by ensuring a police presence on the metro. For the last three years, the estimated 150 thieves who operate on Barcelona's metro have been met by the lone efforts of Eliana Guerrero, a native Colombian who has made it her mission to warn the city against the dangers of pick pockets.
Police operation against Barcelona?s subway pickpockets
About 50 people have been detained in two major police operations in Barcelona?s subway since May. Minor robberies have been a constant problem in the few last years.