By Rok
I’ve been following you on Facebook and on your blog recently. The reason is: I’d like to move to Barcelona. I’m attracted to the city by the “Do It Barcelona” initiative.
At first glance, Barcelona is the perfect location for what I want: good climate, high quality of (urban) life, good connections. OK, there’s high unemployment, but I can be part of the solution to this problem, as I want to create a renewable energy start-up.
Basically, I’m the perfect example of the “immigrant” that Barcelona wants to attract: educated, innovative and ambitious. However, there’s one issue that’s bugging me: (street) crime.
Do I really want to put up with it? There are a number of places I could choose to live right now. Barcelona is a city difficult to match in many respects, but the high level of street crime is surely a constant stress, one that can effectively ruin the quality of life. To be constantly vigilant actually contradicts the very essence of relaxed life in a Mediterranean city. To talk about quality of life in combination with high crime rates is a contradiction in terms.
So, my first question is… how widespread is crime really? Is it only in some (touristic) places, or pretty much all over the place? Particularly problematic is the public transport, moreso because it’s so necessary.
The main problem Barcelona now has is the negative image it projects as being the world’s “street crime capital”, which has overshadowed the positive image Barcelona has worked so hard to generate over the years. I’ve spoken to talented people who don’t want to move there because of it. Almost everyone I mention my plan to has said: “yes, it’s a beautiful city, but what about the crime?” Almost everybody knows someone who got robbed there.
What is startling for me is how it’s almost always illegal immigrants (north African and recently Roma) who are responsible for the crime. Partly, that’s positive, because the Catalans and Spanish are not tarnished as nations. But, on the other hand, I don’t understand, how do they let a minority defile the image of their city? Are they not aware what’s at stake? It’s not just about tourism! It’s about economy in general. Less people and fewer companies will decide to do anything in Barcelona: be it starting a company, like me, or organising congresses and fairs.
In this time of crisis, the damage to the city’s image is something Barcelona can’t afford. It sounds absurd, but criminal activity can actually endanger recovery.
If inhabitants and tourists adapt their lifestyle to counter street crime, then you have a street crime dictatorship in place. Right now it seems the one to blame is he who carries money in his back-pocket or leaves an iPhone on a coffee table. That’s unacceptable. Why should the honest people adapt to criminals, why should the honest adapt to survive!?
I will see how things develop for me. Barcelona is still towards the top of my list, but I am not so sure anymore…
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Rok, España, Cataluña, y Barcelona tienen una tasa de criminalidad similar a la de resto de paises europeos.
España tiene la tasa de violencia de género mas baja de Europa y quizás del mundo, la sociedad está hipersensibilizada por esta barbarie, mucho más que en tu país, sea cual sea.
Para mi consuelo te diré que posiblemente es mas facil que te roben tu Iphone si lo dejas en la mesa de la terraza de un bar de la rambla, que si lo dejas en la mesa de un Pub de Hamburgo (digo un ejemplo al azar), pero es más difícil que un hombre mata a su mujer a tiros.
Si yo fuera mujer me sentiria más segura con un novio español, catalán o barcelonés, que con un novio de Southampton, de Goteborg o de Zúrich.
Saludos.
“Mandonio”, allow me to be succinct: you’re an idiot, and are providing the typical response of a local Spaniard. (As an aside: why would you respond in Spanish, when the original poster wrote in English? I suspect that you didn’t read/understand it.)
I’m from a Western country and lived in BCN for ~ 1.5 years. The question wasn’t regarding violence against women, nor even the overall profile of crimes in BCN. It pertained to the level of street crime, including pickpocketing, muggings, and robberies, of both the violent and surreptitious variety; in this respect, BCN is, without a doubt, the worst in the Western world and compares to many third-world cities. Sure, the murder rate is low; but that’s of little solace, and is not even relevant, as BCN remains the worst in terms of theft and pickpocketing. The thieves (mostly Moroccans and gypsies/Romanians) seem to be increasingly acting violently; incidents of robberies at knife-point and by groups of thugs are becoming commonplace. These thieves don’t attack Spaniards, thus dolts like Mandonio wax on about the lack of gun violence, etc., and how the overall level of crime is comparable to the EU average; but don’t believe them for a second. The Spanish are too ineffectual (some would say “stupid and lazy”) to change the system; they don’t send anyone to prison unless they steal more than 400 Euros, and even then the authorities probably won’t imprison the attacker. Furthermore, they hardly ever deport illegal immigrant criminals.
I’d say at least 30% of Barcelona is wholly and completely at risk 24/7 of silent or violent muggings, including all tourist areas and their surroundings: every effing inch of the Ramblas, Raval, and Barrio Gotico (collectively referred to as “The Old City”); Barceloneta, Vila Olimpica, and other beach areas; Born (the thieves use some bars here as HQ) and Poble Sec; and huge swaths of Eixample, which is the central neighborhood. Gracia is a bit of a toss up, though safer than most. Thieves stay away from the upper-class neighborhoods (surprise, surprise) of Sarria-Sant Gervasi (“La Zona Alta”), and seem to be less prevalent on the fringes (e.g., Montjuic, Sant Marti).
Bottom line: BCN used to be a great and fun place, still is for a spell, or *if* you really know how to avoid ‘hot spots’ and otherwise know how to handle the scum. This website/FB page is the greatest deterrent and sign that things could possibly change in, say, 2 years time. Full disclosure: I was never robbed myself, as I’m just not the guy to f#$k with… however I’ve been in multiple fights with these cur in defense of friends, and I know bazillions of people who’ve been victimized.
(Btw, contrary to what is written in the response above, Spaniards have a much *higher* rate of domestic violence than the EU norm; anyone who’s lived in BCN can attest to hearing the live screams of women being pummeled by their brutish husbands; unfortunately, the stereotype is true here.)
Antes de insultar ilústrate. Tu visión es absolutamente sesgada. Es cierto que los turistas sufren muchos robos en las ramblas, aún así ayer desembarcaron 25.000 cruceristas y disfrutaron de la visita a la ciudad con toda normalidad.
En cuanto a las tasas de crímenes violentos y robos en domicilios te digo con certeza que son las mas bajas de europa.
También estas equivocado en cuanto a la poblacion reclusa, ya que en España se da un número de presos por habitante muy elevado, quizás demasiado.
No te enfades y no insultes, no es nada personal. No he querido decir que porque seas tan occidental como dices que eres le hayas pegado a tu parienta.
Besos.
I think it is very wrong to describe Spaniards as “stupid and lazy”. Barcelona is a great city with a public transport infrastructure way ahead of most european cities, hardly the work of stupid and lazy people. Yes, street crime is a big problem, I too have been a victim of this but I don’t blame all Spaniards.
Ok Mike, veo que eres un tipo sensato. A mi tambien me han robado dentro del coche dos veces, y no por eso meto en el mismo saco a todos los compatriotas de los fulanos que lo han hecho, que tengo muy claro de donde son.
Spaniards are not stupid. They’re only lazy. And in Barcelona we’re neither lazy nor stupid, and we’re catalans. It’s the central government who makes laws. And since pickpocketing is not a problem in Madrid they will do nothing to change the law so we can stop this. The Mossos d’Esquadra (that’s how we call the police here) can’t do more than they’re ddoing: they catch the thieves but by law they have to release them in 20 minutes, stealing under 400€ is not even a felony. And they keep trying to catch them even if they know that their effort will be worthless. And YES, the pickpockets in Barcelona are a problem, 99% of the time they’re non violent but they steal your iphone the same. BUT, even with that huge problem, Barcelona is a very nice city, worth it living here. You’re welcome to come. You can also tell your entrepeneur friends to come ;)
[...] addition, there are guest posts where the author asks interesting questions such as: “Why Should the Honest Adapt to Survive?” Suffice to say that the blog author is proactive. Via Twitter they questioned the five main [...]
Well, the description of “Long Time_Lifelong RiBCN Fan” sounds more like Johannesburg than as Barcelona. There is of course a problem with petty crime here, but in general I do not consider Barcelona an unsafe city. In my personal experience I feel in Barcelona much safer as I did for instance in London. There are parts of the city you better do not enter at night on your own, but these boroughs you will find in every big city.
Pickpockets are a very annoying problem but this is in the first place a tourist problem, because these blokes know that (I) tourists usually carry a lot of cash (II) they do not go to the police. Therefore there is a very “easy” way to reduce dramatically the possibility to be a victim of pickpockets: talk in Catalan or Spanish in public. There are certainly also local victims, but all victims I know were speaking a foreign language when they got their wallet stolen (the only time I was a victim of pickpockets in three years I was also speaking in another language).
So, do not get discouraged by all the horror stories on this website. If someone would make a collection of all articles related to crime in London, Paris or whatever big European city it would look as scary as well. Barcelona is a great city to live and work, and with the normal common sense certainly not more dangerous as any other city.
All fine but for a few items, Martijn:
1. Do you think it’s acceptable that the two main squares in the city (Placa Catalunya and Placa Catedral) should be included in your list of the places a person should not go at night, because you’ll accept that both of these places are hotspots for getting robbed. Let me just state again… these are the two main squares in the city.
2. Whilst you and I might have the luxury of being able to speak in Catalan or Spanish, what advice do you have for a person from Japan, or China?
3. Do you find it acceptable that you were robbed? You speak as if you do, which I find odd.
Well, principally I was addressing the question of Rok, who –if I interpret him correctly- was doubting about moving to Barcelona because of an alleged crime problem. And my response was therefore that in my opinion this particular issue should not be a reason not to move.
Hence my argument was that this problem (because I of course acknowledge that it forms a problem) is mainly a tourist problem. The reminder that most victims are non- barcelonéses is not an excuse or minimisation of it but was basically intended for this purpose.
Of course it also annoyed me that I got stolen, but the same time could have happened to me anywhere else, so I do not consider it as a particular problem of Barcelona. The particular Barcelona-problem, which admittedly should be tackled much harder, is rather that foreign tourists have a high chance to become a victim of pickpockets.
Thanks for the reply, and for participating Martijn, I apologise if my response came across a bit strong. We’re all on the same side here! :)
“Right now it seems the one to blame is he who carries money in his back-pocket or leaves an iPhone on a coffee table.” In the case of the iPhone…well,that’s just..how should I put it…S T U P I D…
It is a local problem, gee why? Where is it happening locally (Barcelona). Tourists money drives a huge segment of the community, let the money dry up and see how quick the locals get involved. Let’s see if censureship rises it’s head again on this post. Thought I kept it cleaned and called no one names. Still have a hard time accepting how easy these criminals rip people off. Glad you are doing something with your blog nonetheless don’t stifle comments. If so contact me.
coward just like the pickpockets.