Mayor of Palma to get tough on petty crime

The Mayor of Palma, Joan Fageda, who has been facing stiff criticism over the growing lack of personal safety in the capital, yesterday promised a shake up of the Penal Code in order to crack down on petty criminals. Fageda also called for local councils across the island to be invested with greater police and judicial powers. Fageda unveiled the results of a study in to citizen security in Palma which was first launched last September in co-operation with the judiciary, the police and the Insular Council of Majorca. Fageda, whose city has been described by residents lately as “feeling increasingly unsafe” wants all of Majorca's local councils involved in an island-wide crack down on crime, in particular in tourist resorts. But while Palma Local Police have introduced a series of close-policing policies over recent years with more police on the streets, Fageda said yesterday that unless the police are given more judicial powers and support, their hands are tied. The Mayor backed calls for an immigrant detention centre to be built to take the burden off Palma prison and for the expulsion process to be made simpler and easier. Fageda warned however, in order for this particular policing project to prove successful, laws have to be changed.