Police unions warn of an increase in violence and criminal acts in Xàbia
20 people armed with knives and screwdrivers engaged in a fight on Sunday afternoon on Plaza de la Constitución
Wednesday 11th May 2022 – Mike Smith
Source: original article – Xàbia AL DÍA
Staff from the Policía Local de Xàbia have warned that crime in the town is increasing alarmingly, despite all their efforts to maintain public safety, a claim that has the support of the police unions (SPPLB, SIPOL, STAS and SEP). The statement claims that there has been an increase in burglaries as well as several fights in which the brawlers have used knives and traffic accidents. To all this can be added the usual seizure of drugs and crimes against road safety.
The past weekend has been particularly delicate for the local police. There were two fights, one of which occurred on Sunday afternoon on the Plaça de la Constitución when, in the presence of many families enjoying the sunshine, some 20 people armed with stones, screwdrivers, awls and a large machete appeared and engaged in a clash in which one person was seriously injured and two more suffered minor injuries.
In addition, there was an incident in which a vehicle collided with urban furniture, but fled the scene and continued through several streets of the town causing serious damage before finally stopping after crashing again. And on Sunday, in broad daylight, the occupants of a vehicle beat up a pedestrian.
The current situation at the Policía Local de Xàbia, in which officers have been requesting transfers to other municipalities (three have already left and several more are in the process of leaving) has meant that the local police have been unable to carry out their role effectively, due to this decrease in the presence of police on the streets.