{
  "id": 3235460,
  "title": "Security Row Erupts in Torrevieja despite nine percent Decrease in Crime",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/security-row-erupts-in-torrevieja-despite-nine-percent-decrease-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T09:41:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Leader",
    "slug": "the-leader",
    "url": "https://theleader.info/2026/08/25/security-row-erupts-in-torrevieja-despite-nine-percent-decrease-in-crime/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Torrevieja, crime dropped by over nine percent during the first seven months of 2026, despite a significant rise in population, according to government figures. Manuel Pineda, the government sub-delegate, and Colonel Francisco Poyato, the commander of Alicante Civil Guard, stated that crime had decreased in various forms, including violent robberies, burglaries, and thefts. Cybercrime also saw a decline. This improvement continued during the busy summer months, with recorded offences seven percent lower than the same period in 2025. Mayor Eduardo Dolón criticized the city's leaders, accusing them of damaging Torrevieja's image by publicly discussing high crime figures from 2025. However, he later clarified that he did not dispute the reduction in crime during early 2026. Pineda argued that the mayor's comments could damage the city's reputation as a tourist destination. The Civil Guard assigned 208 officers to Torrevieja's public safety unit, with around 300 in total, including judicial police, trainees, and the Citizen Security Unit. Despite the population growth, the number of officers assigned to the core public safety unit has not significantly increased. The Civil Guard attributed the crime reduction to prevention, surveillance, and investigation efforts. The mayor acknowledged the need for increased staffing to match population growth and rapid tourism growth, suggesting a permanent increase in Civil Guard personnel.",
  "summary": "Crime in Torrevieja fell by more than nine per cent during the first seven months of 2026, according to figures released by the Spanish Government, which insists that the city remains a safe destination for residents and tourists. Government sub-delegate Manuel Pineda and Alicante Civil Guard commander Colonel Francisco Poyato said the figures showed improvements […] The post Security Row Erupts…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}