Crisis blamed for increases in robbery

The crisis, along with the increase in unemployment, is being blamed for a dramatic rise in robberies in homes in the Canary Islands in the first quarter of this year (2012), as reflected in the statistics provided recently by the Ministry of Interior. Although this phenomenon is general throughout the country, up 22.3% from January to March, figures from the Canaries are almost twice the national average, in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife these figures reached 38.8% while in the province of Las Palmas, there was an increase of 44.4%.

The data from the whole of Spain reflect a satisfactory decrease of 1.9% of criminal offences recorded in the first quarter of this year, but unfortunately the Canaries presents a global rise of 3.2% which is the second worst result of the country.

These figures are blamed on the increased pressure caused by the economic crisis and an unemployment rate of almost 32% along with the fact that the Canaries climate means the islands are a vulnerable place for most of the year because the weather encourages people to leave terrace doors or windows open.

This is leading to a feeling of insecurity spreading widely among the residents of the islands and are leading to continuous complaints from traders and businessmen from the South of Tenerife, particularly between residential areas close to large urban center comprising the capital, La Laguna, and Candelaria areas or Radazul.