Preventing Crime & Creating Safer Communities
Home | Distance learning | Information & news | Discussions | Join the network | Contact | Useful links

Crime Prevention Information & News

Creating Safer Communities in Europe: a crime prevention sourcebook

SPAIN

In recent years Spain has made a conscious move away from attempts to control crime through repressive policing methods towards a preventative approach based on understanding and the involvement of municipal administrations and communities.

Crime prevention in Spain is the result of co-ordinated work between the national, regional and local administrations, although most activity and resourcing occurs at local and regional levels where prevention programmes are implemented in response to specific social problems.

Crime prevention in Spain operates in three different ways:

• Deterrence, including the treatment and the analysis of crime.  The focus here is on the police and justice intervention;
• Situational prevention which aims to make crimes more difficult to commit. The focus here is on opportunity reduction;
• Social prevention, including work with young people and specific groups of the population who face a higher risk of developing criminal behaviours.

1. NATIONAL LEVEL

1.1 Police and justice intervention.

The Policia Nacional, with responsibility for urban areas, and the Guardia Civil, with responsibility for rural areas, make up the "Cuerpos y Fuerzas de Seguridad del Estado" (state security forces) with an important role in crime prevention.  The Policia Nacional has responsibility for applying national government laws and directives.  Some examples are:

Integrated programmes of prevention and security in banks, pharmacies, jewellers etc., including the supervision of security systems, specific police intervention, physical design, methods of visual control, etc.

"Juntas Locales de Seguridad". There are regular and periodic meetings between politicians and police forces (national, regional and local) to create specific programmes of crime prevention and develop appropriate studies in order to know the real situation of crime in different areas or contexts.

"Plan de las Grandes Citudades" (Big cities prevention plans).  The programme has a double focus: reduction of crime by increasing the number and visibility of uniformed police officers. The other focus is on reducing the time between the crime act and the police intervention and attention to the victims.

"Programme de contactos, communicacion social y atención al ciudadano" (Social communication, attention and relationship with citizen programme). This has three goals: to obtain direct intelligence information from citizens, share information about certain kinds of crime (domestic violence, self-protection, street violence etc.) to the general public using the mass media, and finally, improvement of victim support.

1.2. Opportunity crime reduction

This intervention is based on the results of crime audits,  using various methodologies of social investigation like victimisation surveys (Spain, Barcelona, Valencia, etc.) citizen crime questionnaires (Barcelona) police statistics, victimisation maps etc. There are numerous programmes in this category but four worth noting are:

1.2.1. "Operación Verano" (Summer prevention programme): This is a national programme with specific adaptations in different cities.  It runs from June to October every year and includes mass media information about measures for crime prevention in tourist areas and protection measures in the big cities (systems of house and office protection) when the residents go away on vacation.

1.2.2. Car robbery prevention: This includes systems of car identification in car parks, conditions in insurance policies, etc.

1.2.3. Automatic cash dispenser crime prevention programme: Using video cameras 24 hours, physical layout, conditions of light, time-delay door systems, etc.

1.2.4.  Closed Circuit T.V. Surveillance of streets: This programme is similar to other countries in Europe and is controlled directly by local government.

2. REGIONAL LEVEL

2.1. Police and justice intervention

Two of the most important interventions in this field are in Catalonia:

2.1.1. Central de policia de Menores (Children's police unit): This unit operates in co-ordination with social services, family and penal juvenile-justice, and the public prosecutor. They work in pre-criminal settings: family and social situations, as well as preventative work in emergency situations: mental health problems, lost and runaway children, etc.

2.1.2. Conciliation and reparation juvenile programme: This programme began in 1990 with the objective of reparation to the victim of a young offender using a conciliation approach. The process is initiated by the public prosecutor and is developed by a psychological team.  Conciliation and reparation appear to have more success in reducing re-offending than do standard "punishments".

2.2 Opportunity reduction

There is only one programme "Prevention of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs consumption" which aims to provide information about the risk of drug use and abuse. It has different subprogrammes: information to the general population about the negative effects of drugs, mass media diffusion, and prevention of consumption and distribution amongst children.

2.3 Social prevention

There are  many lines of prevention, but three are the most significant:

2.3.1. Programm interdepartamental de renta minima de inserción (programme for the social integration of poor people)
The goal is to facilitate the social adaptation of disadvantaged people. This programme is a collaboration between local Social Services, the Autonomous Labour Department, and social organisations.  It includes different areas and services such as: work orientation, educational information, crisis intervention and an information service about social resources.

2.3.2. Planes de actuación integral (Integral social intervention)
The objective is to intervene with social groups who are having specific problems of integration (such as immigrant or ethnic minority groups). Some subprogrammes are: educational integration, family integration, work programmes, senior education, school-nursery for mothers, and community self-organisation.

2.3.3. Atención a la infancia en alto reisgo (High risk childhood attention)
Addressed to children and adolescents at risk of beginning or falling victim to criminal behaviour.  This kind of prevention is based on an individual evaluation, and may include emergency telephone support, social-integration and legal measures of child protection.

3. LOCAL LEVEL

The most important development in local crime prevention interventions has been carried out in Barcelona. This is partly due to the influx of resources into Barcelona for the Olympic Games; the pioneering attitude of the city Council and its willingness through its Mayor, Pasqual Maragall, to be involved in joint action with international bodies and to share experiences and knowledge.

Barcelona and The Development of Crime Prevention
In 1983, the "Informe Socias" Commission was set up to look into the future of crime prevention in the city.  It concluded that crime prevention had to be developed upon the principles of participation, solidarity and co-ordination which entailed the police being brought under the control of the City Council.  As a result of this, the "Consell de Seguretat Urbana" was created in 1984 to co-ordinate crime prevention on a multi agency basis.

A 1988 riot in the Plaza Real emphasised the need for a decentralisation of co-ordinated crime prevention programmes.  Consequently the Consell de Seguretat i Prevencio was set up in the central district of Barcelona.  These district Consells have subsequently been extended to the rest of the city.

District Consells are co-ordinated on a city level by the Direccio de Programes de Prevencio who reports directly to the city councillor in charge of crime control and police, security and traffic.  The Direccio, apart from co-ordinating the activities of the Consells, runs the Barcelona Crime Survey and works with other EU cities on crime prevention programmes either through bodies like the European Forum for Urban Safety or in partnership with other EU cities on specific EU funded projects.  The Direccio also provides technical assistance to the district Consells.

The district Consells have three characteristics: participation, subordination and co-ordination.  They co-ordinate their activities with social services: subordinate the local and central police forces to their objectives and ensure the active participation of the private sector, trade unions, community and other groups in their programmes.

The district Consells embrace crime prevention in its fullest sense.  Virtually every aspect of life has a prevention element in it.  The Consells close cheap pensions to avoid prostitution; contact drug addicts for needle exchange and methadone distribution; control the selling of goods in the street; control gun and knife shops; empty illegally occupied buildings; and plan the overall urban regeneration of the district.

They also take responsibility for controlling anti social behaviour - from litter and noise to dog excreta. They run conferences on crime prevention for older people, anti drug programmes in the schools and conferences on traffic; together with situational crime prevention projects. They have even created a special "tourists' police" who give advice to tourists on crime prevention and undertake the practicalities of getting the tourists back home, if they are victims of crime.

The Consell in the inner city part of Barcelona has been more active than the others, but this is unsurprising as its problems have been greater and the "Ciutat Vella" initiative (see description below) stands as a Good practice model in turning round a high crime rate inner city area.

These Consells have been so successful that a national Consell is being created.  The intention is that there will be four levels: national, regional, city and district.  Each level would be co-ordinated with the others but each would have discrete functions and delegated powers.

Planning and evaluating the work

There is an emphasis on the participation of citizen organisations to set priorities, identify problematic areas and look after their own neighbourhoods.  The main aim of this emphasis is to encourage social solidarity.

There has been a steady decline in the crime rate as evaluated in the Barcelona Crime Surveys. This is particularly apparent in crimes against the person.  Since 1984, there has been a 50% drop in victimisation rates and a steady decline in the fear of crime rate.  The Direccio de Programes de Prevencio in the City Hall has supplemented the Barcelona Crime Surveys - whose figures are an aggregate of Barcelona as a whole - with local area crime surveys.

Social crime prevention in Barcelona is multi agency, decentralised, co-ordinated and evaluated, with an emphasis on analysing why particular initiatives work in one area but not another and how this can be addressed.

The Ciutat Vella Initiative

Ciutat Vella is the historic centre of Barcelona and has always been in a state of transformation.
By the mid 1980s the area of Barrio Chino was becoming infamous for street robbery, heroin dealing and prostitution.  The effect of this was the increasing "ghettoisation" of the south of the city. From the beginning, the City Council saw the problem as an economic and social one and any solution as long-term.  They also recognised the need for a co-ordinated approach between the urban police, social services, planners and those responsible for economic development.

The City Council aimed to create an environment to encourage investment and to improve the image of the southern part of the city.  In 1988, a City Council run organisation, PROCIVESA, was launched to facilitate this process. The City Council also started a programme of renovation which entailed using its powers to purchase buildings to encourage new building and rehabilitate old buildings.  In Ciutat Vella, £15 million was invested of which 51% was provided by the City Council with 49% from the private sector.

Another initiative was the movement of public services into the inner city, including part of the University and several museums.  The thinking behind this was to create a flow of people from the outer city into the inner city and to change the social composition of people on the streets at any given time. Other initiatives included the demolition of old buildings to create squares "letting in the light into the city" and using caravans as 24 hour mini police stations in high crime rate areas in the Barrio Chino.
 
The Barcelona Youth Project

The Barcelona Youth Programme was launched in 1983 as a response to the realisation that the existing youth service's emphasis on leisure and cultural activities was inadequate, due to the impact of an economic crisis, growing urban delinquency and demands from young people for change in municipal policy and services.  It took its inspiration from the experience of Turin in the late 1970's (see case study under "Italy") and from the more global approach of the French report "L'insertion professionelle et social des jeunes". Barcelona City Council concluded that:

• there was a need to treat young people not as consumers of cultural or leisure activities, but as "fully-fledged citizens" with similar or worse problems than the rest of the population;
• that youth policy had to be formulated by young people themselves and that young people had to be involved in the definition of objectives and the organisation of youth services.

Specific projects included:

1. The Creation of Information Centres for Young People
    Youth information points and offices were set up in all public educational centres providing advice on employment, educational courses, tourism, leisure etc. Some of these centres were run by students with financial assistance from Barcelona City Council.
2. The Opening of School Premises after School hours
    Parents, teachers and students were encouraged to reach agreement on specific times for school premises (and their facilities) to be open after school hours.  This is now widespread throughout Barcelona.
3. Helping Young People to Find Employment
    Since 1985, a number of initiatives have been implemented including training schemes, work experience, improved communication between unemployed young people and state run job centres and support for small businesses and co-operatives run by young people.
4. The Promotion of Sport and Sporting Facilities for Young People
    Since 1985, 378 sports facilities have been opened in the most disadvantaged parts of the city and school sports facilities have been extended/improved. The resources for this initiative came partly as a result of Barcelona hosting the Olympic Games.
5. Health Education for Young People. Six municipal family planning centres run specific programmes for teenagers and there have been several information and advice programmes on sex, tobacco, alcohol and drugs.  The emphasis of these programmes is on prevention and treatment.  The City Council also, as part of a central government campaign, made free condoms widely and easily available to young people.
6. Re-organising Public Transport to Meet the Needs of Young People. The Barcelona metro has extended its hours, particularly during public holidays, and improved services to the places that young people go, such as the beach and the university area.
    

CONTACTS:

Governmental

Barcelona municipality:

Jordi Conill i Vall, Director de Programmes de Prevenció,
Pl Carles Pi i Sunyer 8-10, 2a. pl. 08002 Barcelona, Spain.

Tel: 0034 3 402 3438     Fax 0034 3 402 3439.

Universities and Institutes

Miguel Angel Soria, University of Barcelona, Department de Psicologia Social, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron 171 08035 Barcelona, Spain. Tel (0034) 3 402 1054  Fax (0034) 3 402 1366.