Pickpocketing and violent robberies have increased sharply in the Catalan capital in recent years.
Wherever there are tourists, there are pickpockets.
This is particularly the case in Barcelona, where Many visitors leave without their phone, wallet or passport.
Some Spanish citizens believe that the police are not doing enough to combat this problem and have decided to take matters into their own hands.
Eliana Guerrero founded Patrulla Ciduadana Barcelona, a citizens’ movement that aims to unmask pickpockets.
“Our method is to monitor metro and bus stations, and above all to make pickpockets publicly visible”she explains, “We film them and post them on our social media. That’s what hurts them the most. The police can’t do that.”.
According to Eliana Guerrero, the situation of pickpockets in Barcelona has worsened in recent years: Pickpocketing and violent robberies have increased drastically.
“We want to make sure that the law is changed so that it is no longer so easy to steal a wallet or a phone without consequences.”.
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