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Date Published: 08/05/2023

Spanish crime rate increases but is still one of the lowest in Europe

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Police in Spain are focused on illegal squatting, gang violence and computer scams

Spanish crime rate increases but is still one of the lowest in Europe

Over the past year or so, the crime rate in Spain has increased by 5.7% but the Ministry of the Interior (Spanish Home Office) insists that security is well under control, with police focusing on cases of illegal squatting, organised crime, violent youth gangs and online scammers.

The latest complete data set available is for 2022, and this shows that the “greatest quantitative increase corresponds to telematic scams,” which have shot up by 72% compared to pre-pandemic numbers. The most striking increase has been in the number of rapes (+53%), attempted murders (+44%) and crimes related to injuries and riots (31.8%).

Despite these considerable jumps, the Ministry has denied that this is a “crisis of insecurity in Spain,” especially since this country is still one of the safest in Europe.

The overall crime rate in Spain stands at 48.8, which is next to nothing compared to 79.5 in the UK, 60.7 in Germany, 53.9 in Denmark and 74.8 in Belgium.

To ensure “optimum security levels” going forward, the government has several plans up its sleeve to deal with the most prevalent crimes, which include specific actions in touristy areas and around schools and residences for the elderly.

Moreover, the powers that be have committed to increasing the number of State Security Forces and Corps on the streets, promising that in 2023 Spain will have the largest police presence ever.

For now, officials believe the crime rate has risen simply because policies and campaigns have prompted more victims to come forward and report any wrong doings. Specifically, in the case of drug trafficking, the Ministry believes the high number of prosecutions is a strong “indicator of police activity”.

In other news: British man, 40, dies from carbon monoxide poisoning in Mallorca

Image: Guardia Civil

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