Crime in Barcelona down by 8.8%

The increase in police pressure, improved coordination between police corps and the boost in prevention have helped towards a generalised drop in crime in the city. The 3,500 City Police officers, along with a similar figure for the Mossos d’Esquadra corps in the Barcelona area, account for the largest volume of police officers to date patrolling the city streets every day.

Crime down, police activity up

During the first half of 2025, the number of offences recorded in Barcelona dropped by 8.8% compared to the same period last year, and 22.9% compared to 2019. Crime against property, accounting for 85% of the total, was also down by 10%.

Thefts are down by 6.8% and muggings in public spaces by 5.5%, while burglaries dropped by 31.4%, break-ins at establishments by 50.7% and thefts from inside vehicles 35.6%. Crimes against people, accounting for just 8.5% of the overall total, were up by 2.8%. Detentions rose by 5.3%.

Action plan against reoffending

Police intelligence generated and shared between the different services helped towards the success of the Tremall and Kanpai plans, designed to tackle reoffending and the sensation of delinquents having impunity. In this respect, crimes of this nature dropped by 10%, and, in the 29 major public security operations conducted so far, 489 people have been detained.

Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Provincial Prosecution Service are to sign an agreement to create a City Police unit affiliated to the Prosecution Service as an acting legal police unit. Its tasks will include collaborating with the gathering of police records and denouncements relating to repeat offences under investigation and helping to locate and call victims.

Sexual and gender violence

The action plan against sexual violence recorded an investigation resolution level of more than 85% and the number of people detained rose (31.9%), as did the number of people investigated (14.9%). During preventive operations, the number of people identified increased by 47%.

Reported crime was up by 17.1%, with one in five cases occurring strictly in the family environment. Nearly 40% of sexual aggressions reported occur within the home, compared to 29.5% in public places and 15% within the context of nightlife.

The Comprehensive Victim Support System attended to nearly 2,000 victims, an increase of 1% compared to 2024. Gender violence was down by 1.3%, and domestic violence was down by 1.1%.

Fewer knives and fewer drug sales points

A total of 1,844 knives were confiscated as part of the DAGA plan, an increase of 48.5% compared to the same period in 2024. Crimes involving injuries rose by 7.2%, as did incidents with knives (38.3%). Detentions relating to injuries also increased (29.7%).

Police pressure, collaboration with the judicial administration and in particular, collaboration from local residents, helped to dismantle 71 drug sales and consumption points in Barcelona, 30 of them homes which have been returned to their owners.

Greater perception of security

The sustained drop in crime comes with an increase in the perception of security among the public and a drop in victims, according to the latest Barcelona Victims Survey.

The victim rate stands at 28.6% for 2024 (1.2%) fewer, with public security in the city coming out at 5.5% and the perception of security in the neighbourhoods at 6.3% (0.2% more in both indicators). Cybercrime is also a factor this year, standing at 13.1%.

In line with the pattern from previous years, the area of personal security is where most people state they have been victims (22.1%), followed for the first time by cybercrime (13.1%) and crimes against vehicles (7.8%).