Coordinated Operation at Municipal Border
Last night, a joint police operation took place at the border between Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramenet, involving the Badalona Urban Guard, Santa Coloma Local Police, Mossos d’Esquadra and the National Police. The action aimed to prevent criminal activity involving personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), particularly violent robberies. According to Diari Catalunya, 37 identifications were carried out in Badalona, two PMVs were seized due to regulatory infractions, and an administrative complaint was filed for disrespect toward law enforcement.
Stricter Rules and Inter-Municipal Cooperation
Badalona has implemented one of the strictest municipal PMV regulations in the metropolitan area, with fines ranging from €150 to €600 depending on the severity of the infraction, including for unlicensed or modified vehicles. The city’s new ordinance, which has been in effect for seven months, has already led to over 300 fines and the seizure of 250 electric scooters due to misuse, as reported by Diari de Catalunya. The measures are part of a broader effort to deter criminals from using scooters to commit thefts.
Coordination between the different police forces and between neighboring municipalities is essential to be more effective in the fight against crime and uncivil acts.
This operation reflects an ongoing collaboration between local forces. Since July 2024, police from Badalona, Santa Coloma and Sant Adrià de Besòs have been authorised to act across municipal boundaries to tackle shared security challenges, as confirmed by the Ajuntament de Santa Coloma de Gramenet.
Broader Security Strategy
The joint presence at border zones aims to strengthen preventive policing and improve inter-force coordination. Badalona’s mayor, Xavier Garcia Albiol, has consistently prioritised public safety, citing a 790% rise in PMV use across the metropolitan area between 2017 and 2023, according to the Institut Metròpoli. His administration’s information campaign, including signage and outreach in civic centres and schools, has preceded enforcement to ensure public awareness.
Badalona has one of the most demanding regulations in the metropolitan area regarding personal mobility vehicles, with sanctions that can reach 600 euros, and one of our main objectives, which we are already achieving, is to prevent these vehicles from being used to commit crimes.
The fines in Badalona are deliberately higher than those in Barcelona, as part of a deterrent strategy. Authorities stress that regulations and visible police presence must work together to ensure public safety and coexistence.
Primary sources: Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública. Reported by diaricatalunya.cat, gramenet.cat, elperiodico.com, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, ajuntamentinforma.gramenet.cat, larazon.es, ACN, Diari Catalunya.
