Expanded Roles and Coordination

Barcelona City Council and the Catalan regional government have signed a new collaboration agreement between the Barcelona Urban Guard and the Mossos d'Esquadra, updating a framework in place since 2005. The pact strengthens institutional, operational, and technological coordination between the two forces. Under the agreement, the Urban Guard will take on expanded responsibilities in receiving complaints for certain criminal offences, particularly in gender-based and domestic violence cases. These reports can now be processed at municipal citizen support offices operated by the Urban Guard.

Enhanced Victim Support

The new text introduces significant changes in victim assistance. The Urban Guard’s Victim Support Service (SAV) will assume broader functions, including participation in monitoring at-risk individuals and, where authorised, implementing police protection measures. The service will also integrate with specialised regional investigation units led by the Mossos d'Esquadra to improve joint responses.

Data Sharing and Technology Access

The agreement explicitly regulates the exchange of information and mutual access to police databases, with full compliance with data protection laws. It enables shared use of video surveillance systems, allowing the Mossos d'Esquadra access to the city’s municipal surveillance network during public security incidents, emergencies, or active investigations. Operational protocols will be developed to deploy the agreement, which also updates coordination bodies such as the Local Security Board, the Urban Security Council, and district-level prevention councils.

Police data cited in the announcement show a 16% overall decrease in recorded crimes in Barcelona compared to the same period last year. Theft offences dropped by 23.9%, and repeat offending fell by 18.9%. Crime on public transport saw a 40.7% reduction. However, burglaries in commercial premises rose from 248 in 2025 to 300 in 2026, a 21% increase, with corresponding arrests up by 28.6%. Burglaries in vehicles increased slightly by 0.6%. There has been a 20% drop in incidents involving bladed weapons, with 1,722 seized so far this year, a 6% decrease compared to 2025. Between January and August 2026, 15 homicides occurred, 12 of which were solved. Five of these were linked to firearms and organised crime. Sexual assault cases remained stable compared to 2025, with an 85.9% resolution rate.

The purpose of the new text is to improve services for the public and strengthen security in Barcelona, responding to the evolution of the city, the increased complexity of criminal activity and new social demands.

Primary sources: barcelona.cat, ajuntament.barcelona.cat, Barcelona City Council, interior.gencat.cat, Ajuntament de Barcelona, Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, Departament d'Interior i Seguretat Pública. Reported by lavanguardia.com, rtve.es, elmundo.es.