Starting next year, Barcelona will launch a new six-person municipal police team that will be based directly in the courthouse and work closely with prosecutors. This is the first such initiative for municipal police in Spain and aims to strengthen action against repeat offenders—a longstanding concern among city residents.
The Barcelona authorities and the Catalan prosecutor’s office have signed an agreement to create a special unit. Its focus will be to fast-track cases involving habitual lawbreakers and ensure more effective protection for victims. This new approach will help quickly identify repeat offenders and efficiently share information with prosecutors so cases can be pursued under more serious charges.
According to city officials, there are several hundred repeat offenders in the Catalan capital who have been detained at least five times. Last year alone, 266 such individuals accounted for over 1,700 arrests and more than 5,000 crimes, mostly thefts. Some were taken into custody dozens of times in a single year, only to be released quickly. The new structure aims to change this, ensuring these offenders either serve real prison terms or are ordered to leave the city by police decision.
New methods and objectives of the unit
The main task of the new team is to quickly identify repeat offenders and promptly inform the prosecutor’s office about potential cases that qualify for more serious charges. This will not only speed up court proceedings but also reduce the number of cancelled hearings when defendants or victims cannot be present. This is particularly important for tourists, who often fall victim to theft but leave the country before the trial takes place. Now, their statements can be recorded in advance while they are still in Barcelona.
In addition, the unit’s officers will assist in domestic violence investigations by locating and protecting victims, as well as coordinating with other law enforcement agencies. Notably, these police officers will report directly to the prosecutor’s office rather than to city authorities, which is expected to enhance their independence and effectiveness.
Impact on security and future prospects
The new approach is expected to not only improve crime detection rates but also change public perception regarding the impunity of offenders. Authorities believe that better information sharing between the police and prosecutor’s office will allow them to respond more swiftly to repeat offenses and prevent them. In the long term, this could lead to lower crime rates and strengthen residents’ trust in the city’s law enforcement system.
While other law enforcement agencies have yet to comment on the innovation, Barcelona City Hall believes the experience of the city police could serve as a model for other Spanish cities. If the experiment is successful, similar units may be introduced in other regions of Spain.
