Eight robberies in homes in one month have been more than enough for the residents of the Puertosol urbanization, in the Puerto de la Torre neighborhood of Malaga, to get fed up with the "wave" of robberies they are suffering and to take action on the matter. In the absence of police officers to provide coverage according to their needs, every night they patrol 'armed' with flashlights, some dogs and thermal vision cameras. They emphasize surveillance at the points near a nearby stream and the field, considering that these are the weak flanks where thieves access the area with impunity due to lack of lighting. These have intensified their criminal activity in June and October, generating fear among residents and an unpleasant feeling of insecurity.
There are those who suggest that the robbers "study" the habits of the residents before committing their misdeeds, they enter homes that do not have alarms or those that are empty at that time and destroy what they can. The helplessness suffered by the owners is not just because they are robbed, but also because of the destruction they leave in their wake.
According to the newspaper Sur, the urbanization's video surveillance system has captured some of these individuals. They act as a couple. Two men at a time, with gloves, flashlights and hats that help them hide their faces. On other occasions, they do it openly.
The president of the owners of the urbanization, María Ángeles Fernández, explains to EFE that the people of the neighborhood "are scared" about some robberies that have occurred since the beginning of the year. "We consider that this is no longer normal, we are facing a wave of robberies," says Fernández, who denounces that thieves appear from one moment to the next destroying everything they find and stealing what they can, even with their faces uncovered.
"And when they come, they don't commit a robbery and leave, they stay for a few days," says Fernández. Proof of this, points out the vice president of Puertosol, Miguel Ángel Ruiz, is that recently the assailants entered eight homes and robbed three of them.
Francis, one of the neighbors who patrols, suffered an attempted robbery in his house about three weeks ago, but the alarm was activated and the thieves fled without taking anything. "You are a little scared before it happens, because we are experiencing what we are experiencing, but when it happens to you, of course that night you cannot sleep comfortably and peacefully," he says.
"Here in the urbanization we have had a lot of insecurity," he emphasizes, especially focusing on this past month in which "the number of assaults has increased greatly." He also describes as "serious" the lack of action by the police, who, according to him, have claimed on several occasions that "they could not come."
The urbanization has poorly lit areas where surveillance seems very complicated. In fact, there are many points where you can flee after an assault or in the event that thieves are surprised or cornered.
Manuel Moreno, one of the residents who patrols at night, explains that they "mainly go around during the week because we believe that they have everything well studied. Normally they do not fail, they enter houses that do not have an alarm or where there is no one. In the end when you are so accurate it is because during the week you have already done your homework very well,"
A problem that is linked to the "lack of police", according to the residents of this point. The president of the urbanization denounces that "not only do we have to increase the police in the center of Malaga for tourism, the districts are the inhabitants of Malaga, we are the ones who have to receive new patrols, an increase in cash."
"When you call them, they say they are busy or they arrive between 20 and 30 minutes late, enough time for the thieves to flee," says Miguel Ángel Ruiz. "We are being forced to have to do this patrol and of course it is dangerous, but more dangerous is that we have all our neighbors scared, here there are very elderly people, children, etc. and we find ourselves with the problem that we are neglected," the Mint.
For its part, the Malaga City Council has told them that they are going to request a meeting with the Government Subdelegation to address the situation, which the State Security Forces and Bodies must address.
