# Crime in the Jaen Province?



## hopefulgeek (Oct 8, 2014)

Hi All,

I'm trying to locate crime statistics for towns and villages in the Jaen province to aid and enhance my research into 'desirable' locations to purchase a property, however, my online search has yet to return the information I'm looking for. I've read various articles/posts reporting burglaries (of homes/cars/documentation etc) being attributed (rightly or wrongly) to immigrant workers/gypsies - however, I cannot verify the sources to know whether this is simply scaremongering and/or prejudicial towards minority groups or a real concern - as we all know you can't believe everything you read.

Therefore, does anyone have first-hand experience of living in places such as: Alcala la Real, Alcaudete, Castillo de Locubin, La Bobadilla, Martos etc and can advise whether they consider their towns/villages to be reasonably safe communities and/or whether there is any particular safety/security concerns to be aware of?

Many thanks!


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## XTreme (May 17, 2008)

hopefulgeek said:


> Therefore, does anyone have first-hand experience of living in places such as: Alcala la Real, Alcaudete, Castillo de Locubin, La Bobadilla, Martos etc and can advise whether they consider their towns/villages to be reasonably safe communities and/or whether there is any particular safety/security concerns to be aware of?
> 
> Many thanks!


Speak to Diane Heston at Andalucian Property Sales.....she's been there for years!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I don't live in Jaén but I watch the Andalucian news programmes where these things are reported. Yes, break-ins happen in both rural and urban areas and have increased in the past few years because of the recession (30% unemployment in Andalucia). There have been half a dozen in my village since I moved here in 2008 but none of them were attributed to gypsies or immigrants - they were mainly drug addicts from neighbouring villages.

The sensible thing is just to do what the Spanish do and make your property impregnable with rejas (iron bars) and security locks. Don't leave anything open to temptation!


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> The sensible thing is just to do what the Spanish do and make your property impregnable with rejas (iron bars) and security locks. Don't leave anything open to temptation!


I don't wish to be alarmist or give the impression that break-ins are an everyday occurrence - they're not. However, neither rejas nor security locks make a property impregnable.

In my area I've heard of a number of cases (first hand, from the owners of the houses) where rejas have either been cut through (one guy arrived at his holiday home to find his had been cut through and then black tape wrapped around the cuts so it looked from a distance as though they were intact, by this means the thieves could make a few return trips) or, if there is vehicle access they can be easily ripped out of the wall by tying ropes around them, attaching them to the vehicle and accelerating away. Thieves often have professional lock pulling tools which make short work of removing the barrels of the locks.

My house was burgled a few years ago and the front door was broken in (in broad daylight, we were only out between 12 noon and 2pm) by a moto being driven at the door to smash it in. There were tyre marks on the door to prove it.

Whatever security measures are adopted will never make a property impregnable, they may delay thieves getting in but that's all. Sometimes the more security a property has the more a thief takes it as an indication there's stuff in there worth stealing. Just get good insurance cover, and if possible buy a property with close neighbours and if in a town village, not in a tucked-away position where it's easy for thieves to work on gaining access without being observed.


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## hopefulgeek (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you all for your responses and advice. 

@Lynn R - Do you mind me asking which town/village your first hand experience is in?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

hopefulgeek said:


> Thank you all for your responses and advice.
> 
> @Lynn R - Do you mind me asking which town/village your first hand experience is in?


I live in Velez-Malaga, capital of the Axarquia region - so nowhere near your preferred area, sorry if I confused you. But to be honest, I really don't think there's an area in Spain (nor most other countries either, unfortunately) where you could guarantee there wouldn't be break-ins, these days. Small villages will see less of them in number because the number of properties is smaller, but they happen in the countryside as well as in the towns, in expensive areas as well as poor ones. I remember reading that the Marbella villa rented by the Sheikh who bought Malaga football club a few years ago had been broken into just two weeks after he took up residence, and I'm sure a man in his position would have had the best security money could buy!


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## hopefulgeek (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you Lynn. Yes I appreciate your point - there is crime in every country in every city/town/village. 

Unfortunately at this time I've no experience of the Jaen province and I've read that it is one of the poorer provinces with sadly very high unemployment - I was wondering if such crime was more prevalent and of a greater concern in the more inland/rural communities in this region. In particular I've read a handful of articles reporting issues attributed to seasonal migrant workers - but it's hard to gauge how very real/big an issue it is. However, I also accept that criminals are perhaps just as likely to target the more affluent areas.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I live in Castillo de Locubín and crime here is negligible especially now that one or two immigrant families (one Brit and one Irish) have moved away. There is hardly any vandalism. It is safe enough for very young children to walk from grandma's house to home at ten or eleven at night - there are usually people about, either on their way home or walking dogs so plenty of people would keep an eye open because this is a village and that is what villagers do - they look after each other.


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## caromac (Nov 16, 2008)

hopefulgeek said:


> Thank you Lynn. Yes I appreciate your point - there is crime in every country in every city/town/village.
> 
> Unfortunately at this time I've no experience of the Jaen province and I've read that it is one of the poorer provinces with sadly very high unemployment - I was wondering if such crime was more prevalent and of a greater concern in the more inland/rural communities in this region. In particular I've read a handful of articles reporting issues attributed to seasonal migrant workers - but it's hard to gauge how very real/big an issue it is. However, I also accept that criminals are perhaps just as likely to target the more affluent areas.


Although not in the region you refer to I would think that living inland / rural would be safer from crime than anywhere close to the coast. Also agree that a town or village location is more secure than 'campo'.


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## hopefulgeek (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you for your response Baldilocks - this is very helpful. 

To clarify - and I appreciate that it is not always easy to get a point across successfully via electronic communication - I'm not being remotely prejudicial/disparaging to any sector of society, minority groups or otherwise - I only mention immigrant workers/gypsies in the context of information available to me (online searches and one estate agent on a previous property viewing) indicating that it was an issue (I also appreciate I would be an immigrant in Spain ) - however, as mentioned I have no way of verifying whether this is a fair and accurate reflection of the situation and I'm also inclined not to be believe everything presented to me. Crime is crime irrespective of the perpetrator.

Obviously wherever in the world one chooses and hopes to reside there is a need to understand more about the community in which you aim and hope to fit into









Again, I appreciate your response thank you.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

hopefulgeek said:


> Obviously wherever in the world one chooses and hopes to reside there is a need to understand more about the community in which you aim and hope to fit into


Now you know one of the reasons we live here.


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## XTreme (May 17, 2008)

Don't want to be burgled? Then three words apply: BIG *BLACK* DOGS.....ideally Rotties!

Trust me....._nobody_ will want to enter your property and word of their presence spreads quickly.....and gets exaggerated!

To the extent that the Rotties are the size of Godzilla and are baying for human blood!


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## hopefulgeek (Oct 8, 2014)

I appear to be misunderstood - I meant that I would make every effort to fit into the community - adopting the culture, the language etc. Apologies if the misunderstanding is due to any miscommunication on my part  I think it's best I leave it there. Thank you.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

It appears the GC have just recently arrested 8 people suspected of having committed a number of burglaries in Martos, so the crime figures there may go down as a result:-


Detenidas ocho personas como presuntas autoras de varios robos en Martos - Porunbujero TV | Porunbujero TV

Honestly, inland\coast, town\country, it goes on everywhere.

I agree with Baldilocks about the comparative absence of other types of crime, though. Here too, children go about the streets unaccompanied by any adult, old people are not afraid to go out at night, and I would happily walk through the town and the streets of my barrio alone at any hour of the day or night. It's one of the things I enjoy about life here.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Hi Hopefulgeek. Have you considered living with less here in Spain? The less things you have, the less things people can steal from you. I sold almost all my stuff before moving here and now rent a furnished apartment. Furnished apartments are very common in Spain. So if someone were to break in here, there's simply not much profit to be made. That's my insurance policy.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

I am not worried to go out in either country but there are areas in inner Cities I wouldn't venture in both.

Perhaps Martos got a wave of crime because a lot of expats seem to have moved there, they think we all have stuff worth stealing. Most of the crimes in villages are domestic or drug problems amongst the young.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Isobella said:


> I am not worried to go out in either country but there are areas in inner Cities I wouldn't venture in both.
> 
> Perhaps Martos got a wave of crime because a lot of expats seem to have moved there, they think we all have stuff worth stealing. Most of the crimes in villages are domestic or drug problems amongst the young.


I can't speak for Martos, but I think we have pretty much equal-opportunity burglars around here - I know of a number of Spanish owned houses which have been burgled, two of them around the same time as we were (which is over 5 years ago now). If the thieves see a chance, they'll take it, they don't care who owns the house.

A gitano man living not far from me told me his family's house had been burgled when they were all out at a christening.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I don't think A Coruña is known for having a significant expat population, is it? And yet a gang travelled there (by air!) and committed over 100 burglaries:-


Ladrones de â€˜puente aÃ©reoâ€™ | EspaÃ±a | EL PAÃ�S


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I don't think it's possible to generalise tbh - my town has a very low crime rate when compared to the national figures- & yet I know people here who have been burgled several times  

someone I know was burgled last weekend - they took their safe!!

most people think it was a local job - the people in question tag themselves on FB wherever they are .............. so half the town knew that they weren't home


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Hopefulgeek, I just remembered a potentially perfect answer to your question! This is something that Pesky Wesky posted last month. As she explains, the link gives an interactive map of crime in all of Spain. Here's the thread with the link:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...g-spain/586441-crime-figures-whole-spain.html

I hope that helps.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

AllHeart said:


> Hopefulgeek, I just remembered a potentially perfect answer to your question! This is something that Pesky Wesky posted last month. As she explains, the link gives an interactive map of crime in all of Spain. Here's the thread with the link:
> 
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...g-spain/586441-crime-figures-whole-spain.html
> 
> I hope that helps.


It isn't a lot of good since it only categorises by AC not by province/town/village


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> It isn't a lot of good since it only categorises by AC not by province/town/village


Phew! I'm so glad I posted that disclaimer of "potentially perfect answer."


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Baldilocks, I just saw in that thread I posted that you already said that - that this is by region.

I went to the website where the article got that info from - Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE) Instituto Nacional de Estadistica. (Spanish Statistical Office)

I couldn't find anything for crimes by city, but found this info by province (scroll down to Section 3 - Results by Province). Section 3.8 gives results of sentences by type of crime in each province. 

Instituto Nacional de Estadística. (National Statistics Institute)

That's the best I could come up with. I searched high and low on the net and can't find anything by city. But I did find other people asking this question on other sites, where people were told that there is a problem with finding these statistics in Spain. So that's all I've got! :noidea:


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

I saw last years figures with type of crimes broken down. Robbery and violence were the highest in Catalonia, Valencia and Andalucia (if I understood correctly) which suggests a lot are tourist related.

¿Dónde se cometen más robos y asesinatos? - La OpiniÃ³n de MÃ¡laga


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Isobella, in the link I gave above, in Section 3.7, you can look up crimes by nationality. But someone who has Spanish nationality that is an immigrant to Spain may be considered of Spanish nationality. I'm not sure. But here it is again...

Instituto Nacional de Estadística. (National Statistics Institute)

But I think the most wonderful news is from Pesky Wesky's article, which says Spain has the third-lowest crime rate - only lower in Egypt and Portugal. But that baffles my mind, where statistics typically show a direct correlation between poverty and crime. Perhaps this is reflective of a factor that is typically hard to measure - morality?


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## katsuo2015 (Jan 3, 2015)

baldilocks said:


> I live in Castillo de Locubín and crime here is negligible especially now that one or two immigrant families (one Brit and one Irish) have moved away. There is hardly any vandalism. It is safe enough for very young children to walk from grandma's house to home at ten or eleven at night - there are usually people about, either on their way home or walking dogs so plenty of people would keep an eye open because this is a village and that is what villagers do - they look after each other.


Hi I used to live there and im curious to know who those families are that caused problems?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

katsuo2015 said:


> Hi I used to live there and im curious to know who those families are that caused problems?


:welcome:

he's not allowed to say, under forum rules


how long did you live there?


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## katsuo2015 (Jan 3, 2015)

Hi I understand, I lived there for 5 years!


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