Video: A thief in BCN admits that it's more profitable for him to steal than to work

Insecurity in the Barcelona metro is one of the main scourges affecting the Catalan capital. The impunity this space offers has turned it into the favorite spot for pickpockets. This has led to the emergence of citizen patrols that, faced with a lack of security, pursue these criminals and confront them.

One of these patrols has intercepted one of the usual pickpockets in Barcelona's underground. After identifying him, they have a conversation with him. The video, which is now circulating on social media, helps to understand the failure of the system that protects these thieves.

The thief, a 27-year-old foreigner, admits that he makes "a lot of money" stealing every day in the Barcelona metro. The volunteers recommend that he work, but Patrick (that's the thief's name) admits that it's not worth it for him.

"Would you be able to get up at seven in the morning and leave at 6 p.m. for €1,500?" one of these volunteers asks him. "That's little money," he replies. For Patrick, it's not only more profitable to steal because he makes more money this way, but also because there's a system that protects crime.

The video has gone viral and there are many comments denouncing the state of decline prevailing in Catalonia. In addition, there are people who defend the pickpockets. This further confirms the difficult situation being experienced here.

civic insecurity

Criminals in Barcelona act with total impunity because they know nothing will happen to them. Meanwhile, honest citizens who do get up early to go to work suffer the daily consequences of insecurity in public transportation.

According to police and Interior Ministry data, most crimes in Barcelona are committed by repeat offenders, and most of them are foreigners. Citizens are not only exposed to crime on a daily basis. They are also accused of being racist when they talk about the problem of mass immigration.

The Generalitat government has launched a shock plan to curb repeat offenses in Barcelona and the metropolitan area. The latest data from the Ministry of the Interior show a slight improvement in Barcelona. Although there is still much work to be done.