Robberies and assaults on tourists at night have become common in the city center.
Maspalomas seems to have the enemy within its grasp; between the powder keg of Vecindario, just a few kilometers from the tourist hub of the Canary Islands, and the seemingly established custom in Las Palmas of robbing and assaulting tourists in order to rob them, people in San Bartolomé de Tirajana are clutching their heads as their destiny continues to be tarnished.
In Las Palmas, "lawless zones" (especially around the busy San Telmo and Santa Catalina areas) seem to have become normalized once night falls. In less than a month, two tourists (one German and one British) have been robbed and assaulted, and an Irishman working in the capital has been involved in an attempted robbery, which, fortunately, he managed to avoid after a chase with the thieves.
The German tourist was assaulted in late April, when four individuals attacked him near Santa Catalina Park in the early hours of the morning to steal his wallet. Also in Santa Catalina Park, hours earlier, a fight broke out between several people, leaving a man in serious condition after being stabbed.
The British tourist was assaulted this weekend, also in the early hours of the morning. As he was about to pay at a store in Guanarteme, the man was savagely attacked by three individuals who ended up stealing his cell phone and injuring his face and arms.
It's no coincidence that tourists have a target on their backs for thieves. Many individuals hang around tourist-heavy areas like the aforementioned (San Telmo and Santa Catalina) because they are strategic areas for public transportation, and others like Las Canteras and its surroundings are frequented by tourists and digital nomads.
Unfamiliarity with the streets, the language, and often the neglect of these types of foreign victims make them prime targets for thieves. However, the situation of decay and insecurity in the capital is such that locals and even the homeless also regularly suffer from these situations.
The most recent incident occurred less than a week ago, when two individuals savagely attacked a young man after asking him for a cigarette and trying to steal his cell phone, sending him to the hospital with injuries to his head and limbs.
Unions such as the CSIF have already expressed concern about the increase in crime in these areas and in the capital in general. Furthermore, residents continue to focus on the lack of police officers patrolling the city's streets at night.
