The Government delegate in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, held a meeting on Monday with the Superior Chief of the National Police, Carmen Martínez, and the Colonel Chief of the Civil Guard, Antonio Orantos, to analyze the latest security indicators in the autonomous community, which reflect a decrease of more than 14% in home thefts and confirm the region as one of the safest in Spain.
According to data released by the Ministry of the Interior, Cantabria maintains a crime rate almost ten points below the national average. Conventional crime, which encompasses crimes such as robbery, theft and drug trafficking, has remained stable in 2024, with a variation of 0.1%, while cybercrime has grown by 9.4%, already accounting for more than 25% of crimes committed in the community.
Overall, crime has increased by 2.4% between 2023 and 2024, driven mainly by that increase in digital crime and computer scams. At the national level, this type of violation has registered a decrease of 1.4%.
By criminal typology, the data reflect a significant reduction in burglaries in homes (-14.6%) and establishments (-2.4%), as well as drug trafficking (-33%). Robberies with intimidation (-4.3%) and thefts (-2.5%) have also decreased.
In contrast, other crimes have experienced a rebound. Vehicle theft has increased by 44.4%, from 116 to 168 cases, while crimes of falsehood have increased by 43.4%, from 251 to 360. Likewise, criminal offenses for wilful attempted homicides have increased from 10 to 18 (80%) and crimes against sexual freedom have increased by 11.2%, from 169 to 188 cases. Around sexual assaults, they have all been carried out by the victim’s environment. "It is important to break into the collective imagination the idea that these crimes occur randomly in public spaces," they said.
1,760 agents
Currently, Cantabria has 1,760 officers of the Civil Guard and the National Police, which means an increase of 127 personnel compared to 2018. At the meeting, the Government delegate highlighted the work of the State Security Forces and Corps and highlighted the Executive’s commitment to citizen security in the community. He also stressed that the significant decrease in robberies is due to the efforts made by the security forces, which have managed to limit itinerant groups.
"These data confirm that Cantabria remains one of the safest autonomous communities in the country, thanks to the effort and professionalism of our State Security Forces and Corps," said Gómez de Diego. "We will continue to work to strengthen security and adapt to new challenges, such as the increase in cybercrime, which already accounts for a significant portion of recorded crimes," he added.