04/02/2014
A detailed analysis of crime statistics in the Valencia region for 2013 was released at the end of January, showing that in spite of the continued problems caused by the ongoing economic situation, that the number of crimes reported in the Region actually fell by -6.3% during 2013 to 260.288 as opposed to 277.917 in 2012.
This is 2 points above the national drop in crime figures which was -4.3%and the best interannual fall for the region in 5 years.
The falls were more pronounced in Valencia and Alicante (-7.1% in Valencia, -6.2% in Alicante and -3.3% in Castellón province.)
Thus same pattern was reflected in the Alicante province, crime figures also falling by-6% to 100.886 from the 107.583 of 2012 .
In general, serious crime rates remain low, with just 9 murders in 2013 in the Alicante province, a fall of 43% on the 16 of 2012, a decline in delinquent violence of -11%, violent robberies with intimidation -12.6% and robberies using force in a domestic situation-1.4%.
Car theft is also down, with a reduction of -21% in the number of vehicles stolen.
There has however, been an increase in rape cases, which have gone up from 140 to 170, and drug trafficking cases have also increased, with 778 cases in 2013 as opposed to 630 in 2012.
Domestic robberies are the crime which seems to touch most expats and is certainly the crime classification covered most widely in bars on a Friday night, and in the Alicante province there were more than 10,000 robberies last year, which means an average of 850 every month.
This is actually a fall of 1.4% on the 2012 figures, but there has been a massive increase in domestic burglaries since the onset of the economic crisis. In 2011, 8,265 robberies were reported, whereas in 2012 the figure had risen to 10,399, an increase of 25.8%. Police resource was diverted into trying to not only prevent these domestic robberies, but also the increased numbers of agricultural robberies.
On a regional level, domestic burglaries also fell, with a regionwide decline of -6.8%, from 25.388 to 23.665. Car theft also fell at regional level, to 5.119 vehicles, a fall in -14.5% on the previous year.
Reported crime fell in all of the autonomous communities ( regions) of Spain, apart from in Melilla and Ceuta on the Moroccan coast.
However, there’s still no substitute for good home security and preventative measures, and police have yet again stressed the importance of reporting crime and making an official denuncia at the police station.If an official denuncia is made, then those who have lost possessions will stand a chance of getting them back should arrests be made, and official crime reports help officers to map the movements of thieves and establish an activity pattern, which can lead to a successful arrest.
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