Vox will raise its concerns over crime in Barcelona at the City Council plenary meeting on Friday 25 September, arguing that falls in recorded offences do not reflect an increase in serious violence. For residents, the debate will place sharply different readings of the city's safety data before councillors, including a summer decline in reported crime and 15 violent deaths recorded between January and August.
Gonzalo de Oro, president of Vox's group at Barcelona City Council, said the party would challenge the municipal government's account of public safety. He claimed that murders had risen by 80% in the city, although the supplied data do not provide the comparable earlier figure behind that calculation.
“You cannot say crime is falling when murders are up by 80% in Barcelona,” De Oro said.
Overall recorded crime fell during summer
Police figures reported for summer 2026 show that recorded offences in Barcelona fell by more than 16% compared with the same period a year earlier. The data also point to substantial reductions in theft and crime on public transport.
- Theft fell by 23.9%.
- Offences linked to repeat offenders fell by 18.9%.
- Crime on public transport fell by 40.7%.
- Break-ins at business premises rose by 21%.
Between January and August, Barcelona recorded 15 violent deaths, with investigators having solved 12 of the cases. Vox says the number should be considered alongside the overall fall in recorded offences, while the available figures show that the two trends occurred at the same time.
Vox cites victims who do not report offences
De Oro also referred to Barcelona's 2026 victimisation survey, saying that almost one in three residents had experienced an offence and that many victims did not subsequently report it to police. The party will use the plenary debate to argue that unreported crime should form part of the city’s assessment of safety.
Reported by catnoticias.es, elcatalan.es.
