The report by Numbeo and published in the Daily Express has placed Palma in the top three.
However, earlier this year, Silvia Fuentes, chief inspector of the National Police's robberies squad in Palma, from speaking with colleagues from other units, said that Palma is a safe city, with crime rates much lower than in other cities in the rest of Spain.
"Palma has never been an excessively challenging city. We are an island and the entrance and exit of thieves is quite controlled. When we come across a wave of unusual thefts, the perpetrators are foreigners. On the island itself, the police know who the thieves are, and they know the police. This, without any doubt, helps us solve many cases."
A general crime profile is that most petty theft is committed by Spanish nationals. "We have almost all of them on file. These are repeat offenders in most cases." The more professional thieves are foreign, and they are characterised by their specialities. For example, breaking and entering on a ground or first floor is most typical of burglars from South America. Spanish drug addicts typically rob easy targets, like shops. Quick money to immediately buy drugs."
While comparatively safe, she says that the level of crime in Palma towards the end of last year and at the start of this year is more or less back to where it was before the pandemic.
"During 2020 and 2021 because of the state of alarm and the situation in the succeeding months, criminal activity plummeted throughout Spain."
But, there does appear to be a dispute over the number of police in Mallorca.
The Partido Popular opposition are pointing to data which suggest that Palma is now the fifth most unsafe city in Spain with 50,000 or more residents. This compares with the situation in 2016 when Palma was sixteenth.
The president of the PP in Palma, Jaime Martínez, attributes this to "the progressive loss of local police officers". According to the PP's own figures, there are currently 600 officers on the streets, whereas there were 1,000 twenty years ago, at a time when the population of the municipality was some 100,000 lower.
Martínez, a former Balearic tourism minister and likely PP candidate for mayor at the next election, says that if the number of officers doesn't increase to at least 900 by the time of the election (May 2023), the PP will increase numbers "when we come to govern".
In his view, residents of Palma have had enough of high crime rates, which he blames on a lack of security on the streets, "especially at night".
8 comments
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Visited island every year since 1999 - except 2020! Never had problem but was victim of robbery in Palma town centre in 2021. Was walking with my husband, neither of us saw or felt anything, but my wallet was taken from bag. Police on street directed us to local police station to report crime and wallet with all cards minus cash was found next day.
Nothing will change until there are enough police on the streets with the right powers to do their job properly.
Stephen GI completely agree with your comment. As a (pre-covid) frequent visitor to Mallorca, I was looking forward to a late autumn visit. However reading many negative articles in the daily bulletin I'm now thinking of changing my holiday destination. I love Mallorca, speak the language (Castellano, not Mallorquin) and enjoy the local restaurants - at least I did. Has the island and the welcome for tourists changed so much in the last few years?
Anyone that has lived in any other Spanish cities will know that this is total b******s
Bloody foreigners. Good job the British never get involved in that. Despite all evidence to the contrary.
The clue is in the phrase “ repeat offenders” Time and time again these petty crooks are arrested then released. It’s a running joke here. Not funny for the victims of this lowlife though. Invariably it’s mainly a mix of Spanish, Moroccan/Spanish, Romanian or Albanian, and then to cap it off we’ve got the Nigerian mugger/prostitutes in the resorts. Insult to injury is that they are all known to the police, as they admit. Yet they persist. I don’t think it’ll matter how many police we get, the law is far too soft, so why bother? And so the circus goes on.
And quoting the Daily Express is a new low!
Yet more negative press from MDB and Mr Carter. What is your problem with promoting this beautiful island. Every report seems to have negative connotations for Mallorca or Spain.