SO...Is Spain a Safe Place To Move To..?

[BENIDORM]

Well if you read the articles available most do say that it is a safe place to live and has one of the best records in Europe..

Of course wherever you live there will be a certain amount of crime, no such place as Paradise..in my opinion.

I was looking at some statistics about different areas in Spain with regard to types of crime and some areas almost declaring that they are 'No Go' areas, but I'm never really convinced with stats. and only use them as a guide.
For instance a place near Torrevieja stated that murders had risen by 100%.. ..however when you study the results it shows that previously there was no murders, and just one had happened....

We have lived in several places in Spain and found that you are most likely to be a victim of a crime if you reside in a tourist area or a big city, but even then most people are rarely affected by anything really serious.
When we had our business in Benidorm we did suffer quite a few incidents, but our involvement was much higher than most residents so I suppose it was to be expected.
My advice would always be wary but not worried about becoming a victim of crime....Just be careful...

So ,What do you think, do you feel safe living or visiting Spain ?
Regards,
Gordon of Dock Green....

[Pamela1]

Gordon, I think it is much the same as anywhere. Spain has dodgy areas just like the Uk has. I have never felt unsafe in Spain but then if im in a city or large town i generally steer away from walking down a dimly lit quiet street as i would no matter where i was..

[jamesbowker]

Gordon, a very interesting topic you raise. I support the view that, of course, it depends where you live. But Spain has special factors that that I believe help, especially in smaller towns and villages, keep crime levels low. In general terms, religion and community appear to ensure that there is a sense of what is acceptable and what is not that no longer exists in the UK. A respect for older people, for example. Of course, in Andalucia especially and amongst those who can remember when Spain wasn't a democracy, there are those who can remember how the country was policed and I think this may still have an influence. In the small village where I wished I could spend more time we had an incident recently where an abandoned house, close to my own, had become a meeting point for the a few local teenagers. They smoked dope, played music "hung out" and were a bit of a nuisance though their behaviour was far from aggressive. What struck me, in contrast to some parts of the UK, was that a short word from a neighbour dealt with the situation. The kids were respectful, left the property, and haven't returned. And that I believe is the key difference between UK and Spain. I don't doubt that crime is prevalent, I recall boarding a plane returning to the UK from Barcelona and three older gentlemen reported that they'd been mugged in or close to Las Ramblas but the low level anti-social disrespectful behaviour that is sadly so prevalent across many UK towns and cities, that can make life miserable for some, appears to be wonderfully absent from the areas of Spain I have had the fortune to spend time. In Spain, in general of course, certain values are upheld including respect for your fellow citizen. For me it's straightforward, I love the UK but, beyond doubt, the area where I spend time in Spain is more civilized and crime free.

[gavilan]

Spain ... safe? ... civilised? ... before we put on our 'rose coloured spectacles' ... I seem to remember a sort of madness sweeping through this area (the Axarquiia) only a few years ago ... every possible olive grove was sold to developers and that building frenzy took over ... then the bubble burst and 'la crisis' followed ... there was a sight lull in the proceedings ... then another madness grabbed hold ... in an area already struggling wiith drought, thousands of water hungry avocado and mango saplings have been planted ...

[Miro]

I'm never really convinced with stats. and only use them as a guide.

Just as well, because as you know (depending on which source you rely on) somewhere in the region of 73.6% of all statistics are made up.

On a serious note, though, I would also agree that it depends very much on the specific place, and it would be unwise to say that Spain is safe/unsafe, or safer than, say, the UK.
Things (and places) also change over time. I remember when we first moved to Torremolinos (around 17 years ago) feeling very safe walking around at any time of day or night, and thinking how I wouldn't expect to feel so safe at night back in the UK; I couldn't say the same now. A few years ago, I witnessed a particularly brutal and totally unprovoked attack by three Spanish lads, on a local chap walking home on his own at about 2:00am (I didn't realise it at the time, but I actually knew the victim). This happened literally outside our home - I saw it happen from above, on our terrace. It seems that they did it just for a laugh, and a mobile phone. They left him for dead in the middle of a fairly busy road. After nearly five years , they were finally brought to justice (with the help of my testimony) and I believe they are now all serving prison sentences. We pretty much stopped going out at night after that (although that could be because we're now boring old gits) Unfortunately this kind of thing is not an isolated incident though. I also saw a stabbing in our street one night. I personally know a couple of other people who have been mugged in town. The lady, in her seventies now, who owns & runs the newspaper kiosk opposite our home was attacked on her way home a few months ago, at around 9:00pm, still daylight. She suffered a broken pelvis and took months to recuperate.

And then of course if you're talking about safety in terms other than "normal" crime, then there's terrorism, which can strike anywhere anytime, and sadly has hit Spain more than once in recent times.
And to be perfectly honest, I never felt 100% safe on Spanish roads

Back in the UK now, we chose to live in Southport, because frankly, we felt it's probably a bit safer than many parts of Liverpool, where Mrs.M grew up. There was a reported acid attack a couple of weeks ago, in the road next to ours, which shocked the town because, well, things like that don't happen here, do they? Well, err...no, they don't. The police dropped the enquiry saying they were no longer looking for any suspects. It seems the "attack" was self-inflicted! A major crime here is when someone steals the hanging flower baskets from outside a restaurant. Generally, we do feel pretty safe here, and walked home late last night from a concert without feeling any sense of threat or danger. A stark contrast to the area of Liverpool where Mrs.M grew up, and where her sister still lives; once a perfectly good area to raise a family, now prostitutes and 11 year old drug dealers on bikes hang out on most street corners 24/7

[Miro]

Just come across this car crime tool https://hub.co-opinsurance.co.uk/park-smart/ (for the UK - I wonder if something similar might exist in Spain?) which certainly bears out my comments about our area versus my sister-in-law's area, as mentioned in my previous post. There's another tool here https://www.streetcheck.co.uk/ which allows you to check on other types of crime, by post code. Both these prove to a certain extent that it all depends on what area you're talking about, and that generalisations about crime levels & safety, either in the UK or Spain, should be considered with caution.

[BENIDORM]

James,
Good post and I can see that you are reporting the facts as you find them in the area of your house, and of course it does differ dramatically where you reside, as I mentioned earlier.

Gavilan,
It's a very long time since I wore' rose coloured spectacles', if I ever did ..
I'm not really sure what connection avocado and mango have with being 'safe in Spain'?

Miro, Interesting report as always...
As I stated I don't ever believe statistics, they are too easily manipulated to suit the interests of the compiler....
I have previously looked at the crime reports issued by the UK police authorities and they seem to be nearer the truth, and what surprises me is that most of the crime figures indicate that they are for anti-social behaviour and violence, and I do have a family member in the police force living not far from you...
The village-small town where I reside has few crime problems, and I have no problem walking around at night, ....not that I do that very often...

So folks, is it safe where you live?
Regards,
Gordon

[costakid]

The problem with avocado and Mangos is the huge amount of water they need. We are are very short of this at the moment so they are relevant to our security. I think we may all die of thirst or start to smell.

[BENIDORM]

costakid,
Thank you for your explanation.

However it wasn't in my thoughts about personal safety and security and I now have this vision of giant mutant avocado and mangoes lurking in the streets at night, waiting to attack some hapless drunk staggering home..a bit like 'The Day of the Triffids'...

Regards,
Gordon

[Miro]

Not sure if they're mangos or avocados specifically, but there are certainly quite a few fruits lurking around la Nogalera in Torrie at night, if you know what I mean

[Paulinmalaga]

"Oh you are awful but I like you"

[Pamela1]

Haha...well Miro ypu would know having been a resident but as a Torre tourist i can tell you the fruits are lurking around everywhere in Torre & the veggies dont get much of a look in..Torre has become predictable & off putting..

[Pamela1]

Sorry back to topic..sid will slap our hands!

[Manchesteral]

Years ago I lived for a while in Calahonda when I was considering moving there it was not the safest of places.
Where I'm living now in Las Palmas I have yet to see any serious crime, of course it exists everywhere and as long as you exercise caution you will generally be okay.
The worst thing I've seen here is a not too vigorous punch up between a local guy who dresses up as Donald duck and collects money for charity and a Russian drunk who was trying to coerce Donald into a drinking party with a bottle of vodka, Pretty funny to watch, Oh and Donald won by pinning the Russian guy down with a half nelson until the cops took him away !!

[Manchesteral]

As a follow on to my previous offering I should say that there is some crime in the south of the island where the tourists traps are !!

[elusive]

We have had numerous break ins and attempted ones in our street in the last couple of years. do i feel safer interms of leaving the house then i did in the uk? Due to the breakins and poor security for patio doors etc Certainly not.theres also the issues of pickpockets but thats more of an issue because of our nearest town being a resort which attracts those sorts.

[sujee]

I tend to agree that feeling safe in Spain or anywhere else for that matter depends on the area you are in. We live inland in splendid isolation with nearest neighbours 500+m in any direction. We are also a 10 min drive from the nearest village. When we first arrived we kept our gate locked at all times and house locked up at night, as we would have done in our home in UK.

A couple of incidents demonstrate how i now feel...
Firstly not long after we arrived we had been to a local restaurant where the wine flowed freely and i forgot my handbag when we left. As it wasn't my usual bag I didn't notice that it was missing for a couple of days. When I did I went to the restaurant on the off chance that I had left it there (not hopeful as the restaurant had been very busy) and was greeted by the owner with a smile and my bag which had been kept behind the bar for me .

The second incident was my OH leaving his cigarettes and new i-phone on the table at a local bar. We turned around and drove back and although it was 20 mins later the old men all shouted 'its inside!'

Thirdly, a year later we were in the bar for a coffee and were approached by a Spanish guy who introduced himself with the usual hugs etc. He became a bit overly friendly and we noticed we were being watched. Suddenly, 3 of the old men stood and came to our table followed by a very large and somewhat scary looking guy. The sat down and waited as the first guy didn't leave but put his hand on my shoulder there was a shout and the guy was asked to leave the bar by the owner. He became aggressive and the scary guy moved in very close after some loud and rapid shouting (of which we understood little) he left. The son of one of the old men came over and in English explained that the guy was a stranger and they did't trust him and he was being disrespectful to me and by implication to my husband. Now if ever I am in the bar alone, the old man guards move to a nearby table and surround me if strangers enter the bar.

Finally, some youngsters were playing their music at top volume in their car parked near the bar. I now have enough Spanish to ask them to drop the volume as we couldn't hear each other speak. They apologised and turned it to an acceptable volume. I never once felt under threat from them.

There have been other examples of feeling safe here but i won't bore you with them all. Do i feel safer in Spain than in UK? Yes but not on the coast and not in the cities, where I am very careful and keep my bag on my lap the whole time.

I have spoken to Spanish friends about this and they say it is a matter of self respect and respect for others. We no longer lock our gate unless we go out for the day as we now know that local people will not go through a closed gate as that is intrusive. They walk down the field alongside the house and shout that they want to talk to us and will then come in only if invited.

Yes we have had some minor pilfering at the house but sadly that happened when expats had been to visit us
I don't wear rose tinted specs either in fact I am well known as Sue the cynic LOL.

[ajtg1952]

I've never felt safer than I do now living in the Campo. The house is never locked unless we are away overnight and even then sometimes not as I can't find the keys. Cars always have the keys in them even when in the village.
I am amazed when I see houses near the coast with big gates and fences and alarm systems. However when we lived in the Trossachs it was kind of the same.
It' s down to personal choice I assume.

[elusive]

Certainly comes down to where you live.which is the same anywhere. I spent alot of my chilhood in a village in east yorkshire.you didnt think to lock your doors,gates when you were in. Mind you they probably do now! Then moved to the 3rd largest city in the U.K which was different but luckily we never had any issues.

I was put off alot by the blantent attempted criminal actions when visiting places like madrid with the pickpockets and their clipboards and the rosemary sellers. Probably an issue because of weak spanish laws when it comes to that sort of thing. Weve met people who said their village is like what the uk was 50 years ago interms a community spirit and lack of crime. But i guess thats more inland places that havnt been overtaken by the hoards!

[chrissiehope]

Our casa is in the campo, so a bit isolated tho' not far from the village, and we have had 2 attempted burglaries in the past few years. Luckily, both times the building was secure enough to put them off, leaving a small amount of damage which was easily rectified.

In UK, many years ago, I was in my car with the window down, coming home from college one evening. I was waiting at a set of traffic lights in the centre of the 'village', about half a mile from home, when a man reached through the window, brandishing an open pen knife in one hand & grabbing the neck of my coat with the other. He demanded money (which I didn't have), but I managed to push him away and as the lights were now green, floored it away in first gear to what I felt was a safe distance. This was in a 'good' area, but shows it just depends on being in the wrong place at the wrong time - I always lock my doors now