Residents in Barcelona’s Poble-sec district say crime, drug trafficking and illegal settlements have risen sharply, especially on the streets leading up to Montjuïc. Locals say the problem is now part of daily life in the neighbourhood.
Fernando, a resident and representative for around a dozen affected neighbours, told Metrópoli Abierta that some occupied commercial premises are being used for drug sales. He also pointed to what he described as makeshift supermarkets and barber shops, open 24 hours, where many homeless people sleep and then move around the area.
Among the places residents say are most affected are Passeig de l’Exposició, Parc de la Primavera, Plaça del Doctor Pere Franquesa, Carrers Salvà, Piquer and França Xica, as well as the upper part of Nou de la Rambla. Fernando said one community spent €16,000 moving a car park entrance because people were repeatedly going in at night to take drugs and defecate.
Residents say the impact is being felt in everyday life, including by children. Fernando said some children have become used to seeing people openly smoking crack or other drugs in the street. He also said homeless people have set up in children’s play areas in parks, which stops local families from using them.
The community has also reported robberies, stones thrown at buses and people sharpening knives on granite benches in public spaces. In a manifesto, residents said the situation is not isolated or temporary, but daily and increasingly visible. They also said the neighbourhood has seen attempted rapes and completed sexual assaults.
Last March, Mossos d’Esquadra arrested a suspect after a sexual assault on a woman in the Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera. Fernando said the problems worsened after camps in Parc de les Tres Xemeneies were evicted in February or March. Residents believe the pressure in Raval and Zona Franca has pushed some of the activity into Poble-sec. They are calling for permanent police patrols, action against known drug dealing and consumption points, better cleaning and rubbish collection, and closer coordination between Barcelona City Council, social services, the Guardia Urbana and the Mossos d’Esquadra.
Residents also want businesses used as fronts for drug sales to be shut down, and for fines to be issued to people littering or camping in Montjuïc Park and nearby streets. They say they are not targeting vulnerable people, but want criminal and violent behaviour to stop becoming permanent in the area. For more local coverage, see our community and sport pages.
Originally published by Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life. Read the original report.
