The facility has become a refuge for around thirty people who use the facilities to commit crimes.
San Bartolomé de Tirajana is limping on the same leg again. The old shopping centers that are spread throughout the municipality continue to be a headache for both the council and the residents of the areas surrounding these areas. In this case, the latest reported events have occurred in the Metro Shopping Center.
Strategically located in the most touristy area of San Bartolomé, the Metro has gone from being a tourist attraction decades ago to the complete opposite today. The accumulation of garbage and material remains in the abandoned premises was already known by the institutions and neighbors, however, more recently the presence of nearly thirty people inside the facilities has been reported, which They have been involved in fights and altercations in the area.
Although it is unknown if this group of people resides inside the dilapidated facilities, there is evidence that they have caused various incidents in the area such as thefts, fights and even assaults. According to the complainants of this situation, this group of people has been seen with knives.
The institutions avoid responsibilities by stating that “there is little they can do” as it is a private facility, stating that it is the National Police and not the local police who are responsible for intervening in the facility.
This insecurity problem is added to the unhealthiness of the premises, a fact reported for years due to the presence of rats and bad odors that affected (and continue to affect) the area where the shopping center is located, offering a deplorable image of one of the most important tourist destinations in Spain.
For years, the shopping centers of San Bartolomé de Tirajana have been declared “black spots” in the municipality, however, excessive bureaucracy and lack of agreements have meant that their demolitions have remained completely stagnant.
The shopping center that attracted tourists in the 70s, today scares them away.
