foxy Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Hi all, not often I post but I think I need to warn people considering travelling and staying in Benidorm. We have been here for the last two months and have been regular stayers over the years. There has always been petty crime here and the usual common sense care will in most cases prevent anything being stolen, but the people responsible which in the main seem to be the Roma gypsies are getting more and more aggressive, there has been cases of senior persons being attacked and mugged even those on mobility scooters. Some friends who came to stay for a week had a Gold chain removed from his neck without even knowing. Two young girls pretending to be drunk came up to him and stated he was a nice man, in the meantime by sleight of hand the chain was gone. Another friend of ours , who lives here was mugged a few weeks ago on her way home from a bar with her husband. She now will not go out on a night. A shopkeeper who saw someone about to steal a purse warned the person about to be robbed, the thief ran off empty handed but later returned with some friends and beat the shopkeeper up. It made the national headlines. People are now starting to react and a demonstration was held outside the mayors office, he has promised to install cameras in certain hotspots. The problem lies with fact that in Benidorm thieving is classed as a petty misdemeanour and if caught and arrested, the perpetrators are out and back on the street within hours. The law needs to be stricter and the punishment fit the crime and until this happens please if you do decide to venture down here take extreme care. Foxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 A valid reminder; but I suggest people take care in Benidorm just as they would (should) in any other town or city, anywhere in the UK or mainland Europe. Given the massive numbers of people who flock to Benidorm all year round, it is (unfortunately) just a statistical reality that some will be the victims of petty theft. Others (mainly young adults) will be the perpetrators of or victims of violence caused by alcohol-fuelled fights late at night in the "English quarter". But the VAST and overwhelming majority of visitors simply enjoy their time in/around the town/beaches with absolutely no problems at all. Nowhere is totally risk-free. But it is worth mentioning that crime rates in Spain are in fact far, far lower than in the UK. Just continue to use common sense, even when in the lovely sunshine and when on holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 You find the same thieving scum on Oxford street, on London underground, in Rome, Majorca...etc...etc...etc.... and any other tourist hot spot you care to think about *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 If you go to a country where some people are destitute flaunting gold chains what can you expect? But how many people can REALLY tell the difference between real gold/diamond jewelry and poundshop bling? If you must wear jewelry in a poverty stricken area, just wear the cheap stuff and you won't care if it gets nicked. The only person to notice the difference will be the thief when he tries to sell it . :-D PS I know what its like to be mugged because it happened to me - four small children mobbed me after drawing cash from a machine in Florence. They were only little kids so I could overpower them easily. Nevertheless, when they have four pairs of hands and you only have one pair, you soon find you can't keep their hands out of your pockets for long. I kept one hand firmly on my wallet pocket and fended them off with my other hand as best I could. They got the contents of my other pockets. When I reported it to the police office they told me I was the 11th person to report the same thing that morning. But I was better off than the other 10 because they had lost their wallets as well!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I use a money belt, well..... an under armpit belt, for cash and cards when travelling, and leave my Rolex at home! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 JudgeMental - 2013-06-28 11:39 AM I use a money belt, well..... an under armpit belt, for cash and cards when travelling, and leave my Rolex at home! 8-) Good idea. But if you keep your wallet in a button down shirt pocket I can't see anyone picking that without you noticing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Why is it that Spain is always having to be defended on this forum? 'You protesteth too much me thinks'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Peter James - 2013-06-28 11:43 AM JudgeMental - 2013-06-28 11:39 AM I use a money belt, well..... an under armpit belt, for cash and cards when travelling, and leave my Rolex at home! 8-) Good idea. But if you keep your wallet in a button down shirt pocket I can't see anyone picking that without you noticing. You think......this a profession as old as prostitution. Fagin teaching boys to pick a pocket or two.........All sleight of hand and distraction method. They make a very good living from it. http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/category/pickpockets/tip/common-pickpocket-techniques My daughter has just had her third mobile phone stolen in 18 months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Cliffy - 2013-06-28 12:43 PM Why is it that Spain is always having to be defended on this forum? 'You protesteth too much me thinks'. Always? Methinks "thou dost whine too much". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 We have been regular visitors to Benidorm (at least for four months each year) for seven years and have never experienced any of this. It is frequently someone's friends friend's cousin's brother in law's sister who gets robbed. Of course it goes on out there but possibly some of these cases are double reported or even treble reported. Just take the normal care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 JudgeMental - 2013-06-28 11:57 AM Peter James - 2013-06-28 11:43 AM JudgeMental - 2013-06-28 11:39 AM I use a money belt, well..... an under armpit belt, for cash and cards when travelling, and leave my Rolex at home! 8-) Good idea. But if you keep your wallet in a button down shirt pocket I can't see anyone picking that without you noticing. You think......this a profession as old as prostitution. Fagin teaching boys to pick a pocket or two.........All sleight of hand and distraction method. They make a very good living from it. http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/category/pickpockets/tip/common-pickpocket-techniques My daughter has just had her third mobile phone stolen in 18 months I have a shirt pockets with button down flaps over them. None of those dipping techniques show how to unbutton that, lift up the flap, and withdraw the wallet right under the victims nose, with only thin fabric between the wallet and the victims skin. Even if you are not wearing anything like a pullover over the shirt. Comfortable too because it doesn't trap in your pockets when you sit down. And unless you take your shirt off, you are not separated from it like when you take your jacket off. I fail to see why anyone should pay much for a watch. My watch cost about £10. It has an alarm and stopwatch, is accurate to a couple of seconds a month, and the battery lasts about 5 years. If anyone held a knife to my throat I would give it to them and not let it spoil my day. Similarly my phone which cost £15 including £10 of credit, and does everything I want it to. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Watch was a 50th b day prezzie..Is Insured, so likewise I would happily hand it over, but tend not to wear it on holidays. They will razor the pocket or distract you, and you won't even know its gone till afterwards. if they can remove jewelry and even watches without people noticing.,,I mean come on!lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldi Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Afternoon folks, Very useful imformation from foxy and the judge, thank you. norm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Its nice to know the Spanish police have the same enlightened attitude to these poor unfortunate criminals as our own judiciary *-)................ Stupid victims................. its your own dam fault for having stuff worth nicking in the first place >:-)...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 foxy - 2013-06-28 10:21 AM The law needs to be stricter and the punishment fit the crime Foxy What would you suggest? Some of these people have got nothing because there is no social security - they have to steal to eat. So how angry should the police get with them for stealing a gold chain from a wealthy tourist? We don't break the law because we don't need the money, and we have got too much to lose. If I so much as park on a yellow line, they can fine me and sting me for legal and court costs. If I don't pay they can sequestrate my bank account, send the bailiffs in, seize my goods and house, and ruin me with legal fees if I try to defend myself. But there is nothing they can take away from these people because they have got nothing. All they can do is put them in prison costing £1,000 a week - and the prisons are all full. In any case the ones who mugged me were little kids below the age of criminal responsibility. Would be better for people to take care of their belongings, and not go out flaunting REAL gold jewelry. Because as the gap between rich and poor widens, this problem is bound to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Yep agree with nearly all that, but some of these "professionals" have very large houses in their home countries, built on the proceeds of crime, so once they are properly in the EU it should in theory be possible for a euro court to act....but like tax evaders they will be allowed to get away with it, as most of governments membership blatantly lining their own pockets as well, and it suits to have the population living in fear to justify their existence *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Peter James - 2013-06-28 4:15 PM All they can do is put them in prison costing £1,000 a week - Clearly as a member of the flog em and hang em club ;-)................I would suggest a £1000 per week would be a bargain, by the time you add up the police time the courts, lawyers, insurance costs etc etc *-)...........Joe public would be quids in >:-) ...........plus building more prisons would get the building trade working :D........ But I guess it would be against their human rights to lock the thieving sods up *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Maybee we should just get the mafia or equivalent involved, just pay an insurance premium (protection ) and then let them deal out justice to these thieving bas***ds if you are robbed. A few young "mafia soldiers" (not military) dressed up as old ladies should do the trick. When they get mugged/robbed then justice could be quite rapid. Would save a few wasted court appearances. No time for sympathisers who feel sorry for the hard done by thieves. Apparently 90% of the crime in London is carried out by so called Eastern Europeans. Is the answer is to open our borders let them all in and then we go and live elsewhere. And, yes I am carefull, but have still been robbed in a supermarket in Spain at the till. A 10/12 year old boy grabbed my purse and just bolted. No sign of him outside, slick little bugger. Will I go back to Spain, probably, but so carefree as I was in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 mike 202 - 2013-06-28 5:29 PM Apparently 90% of the crime in London is carried out by so called Eastern Europeans. and less than 1% of crime is detected so how can they know what nationality is responsible for the other 99%? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I've been going to Benidom for many years and have not seen anything personally, but from friends who live there I was told a few tales. Such as how people do not have posh cars anymore as they are followed home and gassed and robbed in the night... However, a couple of months ago a friend of mine who is 70 was mugged, robbed and beaten in a Benidorm street. I suppose it can happen anywhere, but when people are on holiday, they imbibe a bit too much alcohol, let their guard down, relax and are distrated by the crowds etc, which makes them an easy target. This is why these street criminals flock to places like Benidorm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 WOW "Such as how people do not have posh cars anymore as they are followed home and gassed and robbed in the night... " Do you really believe this or was it a 5th hand story? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bojitoes Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 When we were in Benidorm in February i read in the local paper that a new police chief had been appointed and that he was determined to crack down on crime - the local Alcalde had told him that visitor numbers had fallen dramatically from the previous year due to the crime wave. It was also reported that much of the crime was organised by an East European gypsy gang who lived in the area around the corner from the Bingo hall and the British pub by the bus turnaround. Supposedly these criminals had now left the area but visitor safety / protection was going to be the Police Chief's main focus. I wonder if the posts are referring to events that happened last year or if , regretably, the Police chief has yet to get his act together? Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 My daughters is in Malta and the other night she was relieved of her new £50 urban outfitters bum bag containing her smart phone without even feeling it or noticing. luckily only the phone was in it. This the third phone she has had stolen of her person in 18 months... *-) my son being more astute, purchased a £20 basic flip phone from tmobile for his glastonbury weekend and summer holidays... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 sshortcircuit - 2013-06-28 8:20 PM WOW "Such as how people do not have posh cars anymore as they are followed home and gassed and robbed in the night... " Do you really believe this or was it a 5th hand story? Happened to friends who live just outside of Benidorm, police said it was a common MO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 So the thief sits and watches for a nice shiny car, has no idea if its going to travel 1 mile, 5 miles or 50 miles and follows it. If it parks outside a 15 story building he has to guess which flat the driver is in. Alternatively the owner has a lovely villa down a long narrow driveway which the tanker driver with the gas to knock them unconscious has to negotiate. Come on get real. Too many bottles of wine is a more likely occurrence and and an opportunist theft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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