Barcelona’s Poble-sec residents say crime and drug activity have risen sharply, especially on streets leading up to Montjuïc. They describe the situation as uncontrolled and are calling for urgent action from the city and police.
Fernando, speaking for around a dozen affected neighbours, told Metrópoli Abierta that some occupied commercial premises are being used to sell drugs and as makeshift barber shops and supermarkets. He said many homeless people sleep in these 24-hour businesses and then move through the neighbourhood. The spots residents say are most affected include Passeig de l'Exposició, Parc de la Primavera, Plaça del Doctor Pere Franquesa, Carrers Salvà, Piquer, França Xica, and the upper part of Nou de la Rambla.
The impact on daily life is a major concern for the district’s roughly 40,000 residents. One community spent €16,000 moving a parking entrance after people were entering to use drugs and defecate at night. Residents also say children have become used to seeing people smoking crack or other drugs in the street, while local parks are being occupied by people camping, washing clothes, and using the space as a base.
Residents also report robberies, stone-throwing at buses, and people sharpening knives on granite benches. Fernando said the feeling is that no street is safe. The district has also seen a sexual assault case, with the Mossos d'Esquadra arresting a suspect in March over an attack in the Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera, where the victim was allegedly strangled from behind before being dragged behind rocks and bushes.
Neighbours say the problem has grown since camps were cleared from Parc de les Tres Xemeneies, where anti-social behaviour had built up for years. They believe pressure in other parts of the city, including the Raval and Zona Franca, may have pushed some of that activity into Poble-sec. The residents’ manifesto says they are not targeting vulnerable people, but want criminal and violent behaviour stopped before it becomes permanent.
They are asking for a stronger police presence, permanent patrols, more cleaning, better rubbish collection, and closer coordination between the Ajuntament, Social Services, Guardia Urbana, and Mossos d'Esquadra. They also want known drug-selling and drug-use points shut down, and businesses acting as fronts closed. For more local coverage, see our Community and Sport pages.
Originally published by Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life. Read original article.
