Crime rises in south Tenerife: how police are responding

Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas, Las Galletas (including Costa del Silencio), Palm-Mar and the town itself are part of Arona. The region in the south of Tenerife is one of the absolute tourist hotspots of the Canary Islands. And crime rates there have been rising for months.

The police recorded just under a third more offences in the region. This has now been confirmed by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. In the first half of the year, 4,341 offences were prosecuted. In the same period last year, with roughly the same number of residents and tourists, the figure was 3,308.

Local residents report increasing levels of violence, particularly in the nightlife district of Las Verónicas. A rise in police operations and raids fits this picture. Indeed, many of the recorded and prosecuted offences are linked to the nightlife and party scene in the south of Tenerife:

Southern Tenerife reports more crimes

Robbery and theft accompanied by violence have more than doubled. Added to this are offences such as pickpocketing, which has risen by a good 50 per cent. The situation is similar for general acts of violence. Only drug trafficking has fallen slightly – at least in terms of recorded cases. Since the police have been focusing more on prosecuting general offences, the emphasis has shifted towards follow-up work rather than prevention.

At the end of May, a violent incident of such severity occurred that a young British man lost his life. A fellow British national is now in pre-trial detention. However, crimes are not always confined to incidents involving fellow nationals. For whilst the number of reported drug offences has fallen slightly, officials in the region report an increase in tips and evidence relating to organised drug dealing.

Tenerife focuses on prevention in Las Verónicas

To bring this situation under control, the police in the south of Tenerife have stepped up their presence. To highlight this, on Saturday the operations command sent 155 uniformed officers to the party district, including a good two dozen members of the Guardia Civil. The clear message: partying is fine, but those who go too far will face consequences.

The nightlife district is packed with numerous bars, pubs and clubs all within a very small area. The region is particularly popular with British holidaymakers. After midnight, minor scuffles and altercations frequently occur.

Since the fatal incident in the spring, the government has been keen to send a clear message that the region is safe again, even at night. The large-scale operation at the weekend was just the first step in this direction.