60 per cent of crimes committed by foreigners

Over 50 per cent of crimes in the Balearics are carried out by foreign nationals according to a Guardia Civil report. The Balearic government, police chiefs and local councils heard yesterday that foreigners are responsible for 60 per cent of crime in the region and all agreed that action has to be taken. The main centre of attention is in Palma and the authorities want to take full advantage of recent changes to Spanish criminal law to draw up a document, with the co-operation of councils across the country, to combat the rise in foreign criminals. Some of the new proposals include giving judges extra powers so they have the right to expel re-offending foreign criminals. The Balearics wants to see the public prosecution service expanded with more prosecutors, greater power to control juvenile delinquents and that re-offenders face harsher punishments. The Mayor of Palma, Joan Fageda said that it is petty crime in the city which is creating a general sense of insecurity, adding that over the past month, 14 foreigners found guilty of crimes have been expelled. However, the crack down on crime is not going to be exclusively in the hands of the police and judicial system. The Balearic authorities believe that in order to start cracking down on foreign criminals, all areas of society have a role to play.