The National Police have arrested nearly 300 people in Palma as part of Operation Summer. This year's novelty is the creation of a permanent group dedicated to combating property crime, with international mixed patrols.
The National Police has launched a permanent group against thefts in Palma, as part of Operation Summer. The spokesperson for the National Police in the Balearics, Alejandro Becerra, has detailed that this team will work against "groups and criminal organizations engaged in thefts in the Palma area," in collaboration with other units from the mainland and neighbouring countries.
Over 90 arrests in Playa de Palma
The results of the operation are striking: nearly 300 arrests across the city. Just in Playa de Palma, night patrols have arrested over 90 criminals caught red-handed. The usual modus operandi, according to Becerra, consists of a coordinated action: "Some keep watch, others go to commit the theft and they catch them in the act, detain them, and recover the belongings of tourists, who are very grateful."
Pickpockets in the city centre and thefts in hotel establishments are the most common modalities, taking advantage of any carelessness from the victims. The creation of this specific group aims to provide a more agile and specialized response to a problem that intensifies with the arrival of the high season.
International mixed patrols
To overcome the language barrier and improve effectiveness, the leadership has once again deployed international mixed patrols, a project now in its sixth year. The commissioner of Playa de Palma, Francisco Javier Santos, has explained that from June 1 to the end of October, they have German and Dutch police officers, along with a Romanian officer for the first time throughout most of the summer.
The international agents assist their compatriots in processing complaints and carry out preventive work. Ben, a police officer from the Netherlands, highlights that tourists "are very, very happy with us and with the collaboration" and that the priority "is thefts." His German colleague, Helen, is surprised by the volume of work: "A lot of thefts, of stealing, that is incredible, and I didn't know it was so much. I really like that there are many colleagues who are also in plain clothes, a lot of them. And I am surprised by the arrival of so many boats."
Knowledge of the criminals
The Romanian officer Simona brings key knowledge thanks to her previous experience in the Canary Islands. "I already have quite a bit of experience with Romanians who engage in stealing from tourists, and I know most of them, because I have had time to get to know them," she states. She explains that these groups move to Mallorca when the season ends in the Canary Islands. "Most of them do not know that we have here, that you have here a Romanian police officer. I know there are many, that they are families, all, almost all are families, friends, they know each other very well."
Simona's presence allows for the identification and tracking of these organized groups, which operate seasonally. International cooperation is solidified as an effective tool to combat property crime in the Balearic capital, providing a more direct response to tourists and improving safety in the most crowded areas.
Operation Summer will continue until the end of October, with the new permanent group as the core of the strategy against thefts. Residents and visitors in Palma can expect a greater police presence, both uniformed and in plain clothes, especially in the city centre and Playa de Palma.
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