The Mossos d'Esquadra recorded 622 known criminal incidents in the Tarragona demarcation between January and July 2026, down 3.4% from 644 during the same period in 2025, according to data published on 26 September 2026. Despite the overall decline, crime rose in the Camp de Tarragona subregion, where known incidents increased by 2.4% to 303 cases. The reduction in the wider area was driven by a sharper 8.3% fall in the Terres de l'Ebre, where incidents dropped from 348 to 319.

Sharp Drops in Vehicle Thefts, Fraud; Injuries and Property Damage Rise

Some of the most significant changes occurred in specific crime categories. Reported thefts inside vehicles fell by 63.3%, from 30 to 11 cases, with the steepest drop in Camp de Tarragona (from 17 to 4). Fraud cases declined by 21.3%, from 47 to 37, while injuries dropped 23.3%, from 43 to 33. However, damage-related offences increased by 14.7%, rising from 75 to 86 incidents, mostly concentrated in Camp de Tarragona (up from 24 to 36). House and property occupations surged from five to 17 cases overall, with 16 occurring in Camp de Tarragona.

  • Thefts (125 cases) remained unchanged year-on-year and were the most reported crime.
  • Robberies involving force totalled 92 cases, down slightly from 96.
  • In Camp de Tarragona, robberies with force rose from 45 to 55 (up 22.2%).
  • In Terres de l'Ebre, they fell from 51 to 37.
The data shows that a drop in overall crime does not mean every area or category is improving, said a review of the Mossos statistics.

Arrests Up Despite Falling Crime Rates

While reported crimes declined, arrests rose significantly. The Mossos carried out 113 detentions between January and July 2026, up 27% from 89 in the same period of 2025. Increases were seen in both regions: from 39 to 48 in Camp de Tarragona and from 50 to 65 in Terres de l'Ebre. Notable increases in arrests included:

  • Threats: up from 4 to 15 detentions.
  • Sexual assaults: from 1 to 6, as reported incidents rose from 2 to 4.
  • Violent robberies: from 2 to 6 detentions, even though known cases held steady at 13.

The number of resolved violent robbery cases also increased from 3 to 10, particularly in Terres de l'Ebre, where resolved cases jumped from 1 to 7.

Different Measures Tell Different Stories

Authorities note that 'known incidents', 'resolved cases', and 'arrests' reflect different aspects of police activity. A resolved case may stem from investigations begun before 2026, and arrest figures do not always correlate directly with current offence rates. The Mossos' seven-month data aligns broadly with Spain's Interior Ministry's first-half 2026 report, which showed a 2.1% drop in penal offences in the Tarragona demarcation, though the periods and methodologies differ.

Primary sources: Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública, Dep. Interior Generalitat Catalunya, dsp.interior.gencat.cat. Reported by diaridetarragona.com, diarimes.com, laciutat.cat, tarragona.cat, Diari de Tarragona.