20 New Officers to Strengthen Local Policing
The Ajuntament de Manresa has announced plans to reinforce the local Guàrdia Urbana with 20 new agents over the next two years, aiming to improve responses to crime and reduce residents’ sense of insecurity. With this increase, the force will grow to 120 officers, a level the council considers appropriate given the city’s population growth. Manresa has gained approximately 13,000 residents over the past two decades, but public services have not kept pace, Mayor Marc Aloy said. The council attributes this gap to national budgetary constraints, including the long-standing 'reposition tax' rules introduced in 2011, which have limited municipal hiring. To address the shortfall, the council will launch two recruitment rounds, one in January 2027 and another in January 2028, each offering at least 10 permanent positions. In the interim, the council expects to hire around 15 temporary officers from the Generalitat’s job pool established earlier in 2026.
Expanded Patrols and Targeted Security Measures
Alongside the staffing increase, the council is expanding street patrols and enhancing targeted operations. An additional agent will join the plainclothes Grup Omega unit to combat urban crime. Patrols will be intensified, with dedicated pairs assigned to the commercial zone and historic centre, and two rotating teams deployed across residential neighbourhoods. The council will also strengthen administrative policing, intensify inspections at problem establishments, and launch campaigns to detect and seize white weapons in public spaces. Special attention will be given to repeat offenders, particularly among youth, and cases of school absenteeism.
Crackdown on E-Scooters and Calls for Legal Reform
Since the approval of a local bylaw in May, more than 200 non-compliant e-scooters have been removed from Manresa’s streets, according to city councillor Anjo Valentí, who leads Citizen Security. Supervision of personal mobility devices will continue under this framework. Mayor Aloy also called for national reforms, including a cross-party agreement on knife crime, an update to the 2000-era Youth Criminal Responsibility Law, and faster judicial responses for serious juvenile offenders. He stressed the need for decentralised youth justice services, noting that Manresa currently lacks a local judicial facility to handle minors’ cases promptly. Valentí welcomed a 15% drop in overall crime reported in the first half of 2026, with thefts down by 20%, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior.
Primary sources: bcnroc.ajuntament.barcelona.cat, Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública, seuelectronica.ajuntament.barcelona.cat, ajuntament.barcelona.cat, dtes.gencat.cat, boe.es, infotransit. Reported by elperiodico.com, eb.manresa.cat, montserrat.morros, naciodigital.cat, El Periódico (CA).
