The delegate of the Government in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego, chaired on Wednesday the Autonomous Council of Citizen Security, a meeting that she described as "important" both for its representative scope and for the content addressed, among which she highlighted the crime balance of 2024 and the fight against gender violence.
During the meeting, held at the headquarters of the Government Delegation, Gómez de Diego stressed that Cantabria remains one of the safest autonomous communities in the country, with a practically stable conventional crime, having registered a variation of 0.1% compared to the previous year.
One of the most relevant data he has shared has been the 14.6% decrease in home burglaries, a type of crime that, according to him, generates great citizen insecurity.
Regarding sexual crimes, the delegate pointed out that the cases known in Cantabria occur mostly in the victim's environment, denying the idea of random attacks on the public highway. It has positively valued the increase in complaints, as it reflects "more awareness and sensitization", which facilitates the clarification of the facts.
The fight against gender violence has been one of the main focuses of the meeting. Currently, more than 1,500 women are integrated into the Viogen system in Cantabria, of which 10 are minors, a fact that is of particular concern.
Gómez de Diego reiterated the commitment of the Executive in the fight against gender violence, and announced that the Violeta Points have been extended to five more municipalities and that they are already present in facilities such as the Government Delegation, the Tax Agency, SEPE or Social Security, with the aim of strengthening care and information for victims. He also highlighted the launch of the 24-hour Crisis Center 'Las Marzas', financed with 850,000 euros of European funds.
For the first time, the High Inspection of Education has participated in this council, in order to strengthen prevention and awareness in schools and address risk situations that affect young people, with special attention to gender violence, the use of social networks and access to pornographic content among minors, as well as bullying or the consumption of alcohol and drugs.
Crime balance
As for the crime balance for 2024, Cantabria maintains a crime rate almost nine points below the national average. Overall crime has increased by 2.4% compared to 2023, mainly due to the growth of cybercrime, which already accounts for more than 25% of crimes in the community and has risen by 9.4%.
On the contrary, conventional crimes have recorded significant decreases: burglary in homes (-14.6%), drug trafficking (-33%) or theft (-2.5%). However, there has been an increase in wilful homicides (from 0 to 3) and attempted homicides (from 10 to 18); the theft of vehicles (+44.4%), crimes of documentary falsehood (+43.4%) and crimes against sexual freedom (+11.2%), all committed in the vicinity of the victims.
More than 1,700 agents
Cantabria has 1,760 officers of the Civil Guard and National Police, which means an increase of 127 personnel compared to 2018. In addition, during the summer months, new reinforcements will be incorporated into the Safe Tourism Plan.
The delegate has reiterated the commitment of the Government of Spain to public security, reflected both in the calls for public employment and in investment in infrastructure, such as the works that are executed in the headquarters of Cabezón de la Sal and in Reinosa and, soon, in Laredo.
The Council was attended by the Chief National Police in Cantabria, Carmen Martínez; the Colonel Chief of the Civil Guard, Antonio Orantos; the Head of the Coordination Unit against Violence against Women, Diana Mirones, or the Director of the Functional Area of the High Inspection of Education, Virginia Rosales García, who presented their respective reports and thanked the institutional collaboration.
The delegate has highlighted the usefulness of this type of meetings as spaces for exchange and coordination between administrations, police forces, social, educational, trade union and business representatives, with more than 20 participants in this edition. “The Autonomous Security Council must be a useful space for analysis, proposal and continuous improvement in an area as sensitive as security,” concluded Gómez de Diego.