The small municipality of Palau de Santa Eulàlia, home to just 136 residents and fewer than 50 houses, saw its usual peace shattered by a wave of burglaries that affected one in five households in less than a week. These events occur as crime rates in the province of Girona have increased by 2.5% over the last year.
The timeline of events, which began on Thursday afternoon, suggests an organized operation. Although the Town Council urgently requested special surveillance from the Mossos d’Esquadra on Friday, the assaults continued for four consecutive nights, until Tuesday, when an unmarked patrol was finally detected in the area.
“"It is a scandal. We give the warning on Thursday, it happens again on Friday, Saturday, Sunday... Can't they send a surveillance patrol? They have been robbing with impunity for four days."
Testimonies point to a highly skilled criminal group. The thieves operated between seven and twelve at night, using frequency inhibitors to disable alarm systems and silicone gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. Their primary target was consistently money and jewelry.
Residents' criticism focuses on resource management in the Alt Empordà, where often only one patrol is operational to cover a vast area of municipalities. Residents warn that the criminals are fully aware of police response times, which can take hours to reach rural areas like Palau de Santa Eulàlia.
