Barcelona City Council will now act as a direct prosecutor in criminal proceedings for aggravated theft involving repeat offenders. This significant step follows the implementation of Organic Law 1/2026, 8 April, which reforms the penal treatment of repeat offending across Spain. The measure aims to strengthen urban security and address persistent crime affecting residents and businesses.
Mayor Jaume Collboni announced the new measure, stating the council will take an active role in criminal matters. He said, "we absolutely dispel any shadow of impunity regarding repeat offending, taking advantage of the Penal Code modification and also the strengthening by judges and courts that is allowing more and faster trials." This decision came after presenting the initial results of the Shock Plan against Repeat Offending at the Palau de la Generalitat. President Salvador Illa and Justice Minister Félix Bolaños also attended the event.
The plan has already shown notable improvements in judicial response within the Barcelona judicial district. Immediate misdemeanour trials now take less than three months, down from nearly nine months previously. Fast trials have also seen a reduction, moving from eighteen months to approximately fourteen months. These quicker timelines bring trials closer to the time of the crime, increasing the judicial system's effectiveness.
New Legal Framework and Judicial Efficiency
These positive outcomes stem from coordinated measures, including the application of Law 1/2025 on the efficiency of public justice services. This law has improved the system's organisation and speed. Additionally, the reform on repeat offending, approved by the Congress of Deputies, plays a key role. Barcelona implemented a specific shock plan against repeat offending. This plan included opening four new criminal judicial reinforcement units and one on-call criminal unit for immediate misdemeanour crimes in March 2025.
Mayor Collboni highlighted the impact of these efforts. He stated, "at this moment we have the best data in the last 10 years regarding this type of crime, which caused the most harm to coexistence among citizens." The increased resources have significantly boosted prosecution capacity. The system can now handle around 18,000 immediate misdemeanour trials and 8,400 fast trials annually. This reduces the accumulated backlog and improves the response to repeat offending.
Ending Impunity for Minor Thefts
The new Organic Law introduces substantial changes to the penal response for repeat crime. For the first time, it allows city councils to directly participate in these proceedings. A major change in the new rule ends the model based solely on financial penalties. Previously, many repeat thefts, especially those under €400, resulted only in fines. These fines often failed to deter repeat offenders effectively. The reform removes the requirement to accumulate amounts. It establishes that repeat offending alone can lead to more severe criminal consequences. This includes custodial sentences when previous convictions exist.
This change ends the perception of impunity associated with fines. It strengthens the criminal system's ability to act more decisively against repeated behaviours. These behaviours consistently affect public spaces, economic activity, and daily life in Barcelona. The decision to prosecute is part of a municipal strategy started in 2024. At that time, the City Council launched a pilot program to improve responses to repeat thefts and robberies in public spaces. That initiative focused on offering free legal assistance to victims. It also supported victims in acting as private prosecutors against repeat offenders.
City Council's Enhanced Role
With the new law, the City Council moves from a supportive role to an active institutional one. It can now intervene directly in criminal proceedings for theft crimes with a significant impact on the city. This new function allows the council to drive procedural strategies. These strategies aim to break cycles of repeat offending. They also reinforce requests for precautionary measures to prevent further crimes. The council provides an institutional perspective focused on protecting the general interest, public spaces, and the commercial fabric of Barcelona.
This active involvement from the initial stages of criminal proceedings improves the connection between police action, reports, legal classification, and judicial response. It increases the overall effectiveness of the system. The Guardia Urbana of Barcelona was the first police force to access SIRAJ (System of Administrative Justice Registers). This database allows agents to quickly check criminal records. This helps them identify repeat offenders, verify previous convictions, and apply aggravating factors in the Penal Code. These tools streamline procedures and improve police reports. They also avoid unnecessary delays and ensure consistency between police intervention and judicial action.
Proactive Strategy for Public Safety
The modification of the Royal Decree regulating SIRAJ use further optimises judicial schedules. It avoids irrelevant criminal proceedings and reduces processing times in the courts. Barcelona aims to consolidate a full response to this structural issue. The ultimate goal is to move towards active management of repeat offending. This will allow intervention on high-impact profiles and achieve measurable results in reducing repeat crime and improving coexistence in the city.
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Originally published by Barcelona City Council Press Room. Read original article.
