L'Hospitalet de Llobregat saw a significant police operation yesterday, 14 May 2026, targeting a rise in crime, especially robberies carried out using scooters. More than half of violent robberies in the city now involve scooters, according to Mossos d'Esquadra data. The operation, part of the Kanpai plan, was reinforced and exclusive to Catalonia's second-largest city.
Police are also seeing a new challenge: children aged 11 to 13 committing these crimes. These minors cannot be charged, only taken to a police station and handed over to their parents, with a report sent to the juvenile prosecutor's office. Some have been found with tasers and pepper spray, officials said.
Intensified Police Presence
The operation involved agents from the Mossos d'Esquadra, Policía Nacional, and Guàrdia Urbana. They deployed to various areas, including metro stops, Plaça Europa, and Avinguda de Catalunya. Units not previously seen in the area, such as the 'guilla' units, were part of the deployment. Jordi Colomé, the new head of citizen security for the Mossos in L'Hospitalet, led the operation.
Commuters at Collblanc metro station expressed surprise at the large police presence. In Santa Eulàlia, officers found a scooter capable of reaching 114 km/h. Six non-compliant scooters were removed from circulation yesterday. A police helicopter was heard over the La Florida neighbourhood as officers patrolled Avinguda de Catalunya, an area experiencing a spike in robberies.
Addressing Rising Crime Rates
The provisional results of the operation included four arrests and 65 identifications. Police also issued five complaints for drug possession, reported a phone buying and selling establishment, recovered a stolen phone, and summoned seven people for breaches of immigration law. These actions aim to address a significant increase in criminal activity.
Crime in L'Hospitalet rose by 10.1% in 2025 compared to the previous year. This follows increases of 6.4% in 2024 and 8% in 2023. In contrast, Barcelona's crime rates fell to levels not seen in a decade. Public concern is high, with 47.4% of residents identifying insecurity as the main problem in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, the highest figure recorded in the municipal barometer since 2012.
This intensified Kanpai operation serves as a precursor to a broader shock plan promised by Catalonia's Interior Minister, Núria Parlon, in February. Authorities hope these measures will help curb the rising crime rates and address public safety concerns in the city.
