In an interview, Albert Batlle stated that it can currently be said that they have "got the criminal narcopiso business by the throat". However, he warned that this phenomenon "never ceases" and that drug dealing points can reappear in other locations, necessitating constant action. According to Batlle, the activity is "very residual" and detected cases are "practically all identified" and in the process of being closed down.
The councillor recalled that the methodology of these criminal businesses has changed: "Before, many were flat occupations, and now the mechanisms are different; they set up in rented flats". This, he explained, requires adapting the police and judicial response to carry out evictions.
Regarding general security in Ciutat Vella, Batlle highlighted a positive trend in the data, stating that the city is experiencing a "downward curve" in crime. Criminal activity in the district has decreased by approximately 13%. Despite this improvement, he acknowledged that public perception does not always align, as victims continue to feel insecure.
The Head of Security attributed this trend to coordination between police forces and the judicial system, mentioning measures such as the new Guardia Urbana unit attached to the prosecutor's office to combat repeat offending. Batlle insisted that the main challenge for Ciutat Vella remains "ordering coexistence in a highly densified space", an objective that requires sustained action in security, economic activity, and neighbourhood uses.
There is a difference between perception and objective reality.
Albert Batlle, with 43 years of experience as a councillor since 1983, expressed his willingness to continue in the role, stating that he is "in shape" and "eager to keep working", although the final decision will depend on his party's internal processes.
