Palma puts a price on vandalism

Rubbish containers have become a particular target for vandalism. | Policia Local Palma

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma19/01/2018 00:00

Palma town hall has launched a campaign designed to combat vandalism of its street property, such as lampposts and trees. "Caring for Palma is priceless" has been launched because of the damage that is caused, and this does of course have a price. In order to try and get the message across, there are posters and labels in the busiest parts of the city. These indicate the costs, such as 700 euros to replace a rubbish container, 300 euros for benches and 240 euros for trees.

Mayor Antoni Noguera says that twenty containers have been set alight in recent weeks. At 700 euros a time, this is a drain on town hall resources. Councillor Joan Ferrer (transport) adds that street signs are subject to the most vandalism. "We get constant notification about this and also about damaged traffic lights."

The councillor for public safety, Angelica Pastor, explains that the police are trying to ascertain who has been responsible for the recent spate of container fires. This isn't a new phenomenon. In 2016 the Palma fire service had to deal with 130 such incidents.