The Catalan police have identified drug trafficking, extremism, and especially youth violence as key security challenges for the country. This latter issue focuses on small groups of young people, mostly of school age, who have been appearing in Barcelona and its metropolitan area.
Of particular concern is that, in some cases, these groups display bladed weapons, such as machetes, and that fights and attacks occur among them in the street. Faced with this situation, the Mossos' General Information Commissariat has implemented a plan to identify areas in Catalunya with the presence of these gangs, a strategy initiated a year and a half ago with the arrival of the new leadership.
Areas with youth gang activity have already been detected in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Terrassa, as well as in areas near the Besòs river, in the Barcelona districts of Sant Andreu, Nou Barris, and Sant Martí. This week, the plenary session of the Barcelona City Council approved a proposition to promote a joint plan between the Guàrdia Urbana, the Mossos, and local police forces in the metropolitan area to address this problem.
“"Mediators, more social integrators, and greater presence in the transition from compulsory secondary education to the working world are needed."
Despite the concern, the Mossos emphasize that the behavior of these young people differs from that of the Latin gangs of the 2000s, such as the Trinitarios or the Ñetas. Current groups are smaller, more heterogeneous, with members of various nationalities (mostly Spanish), and their criminal activity is mainly limited to fights, without such a strong group loyalty or structure as that of large international organizations.
Experts in the field point out that Catalunya is far from the situation in Madrid, where the presence of Latin American youth gangs is more deeply rooted. A professor of anthropology at the UPF highlights that many members of these groups are second and third-generation immigrants seeking a sense of belonging and feeling excluded. He adds that the current dynamic is more similar to that of small neighborhood gangs from the 1970s.
“"They seek forms of affirmation in a society that has hardly accepted them."
Both police sources and experts agree that addressing these conflicts cannot be solely a police matter. The need for mediators, social integrators, and a greater presence in the transition from ESO to the working world is highlighted, as is the importance of the school environment to reduce absenteeism and segregation. Recently, it has been learned that the Mossos and the Department of Education are promoting a pilot plan with plainclothes officers in educational centers to prevent youth violence.
