Police have been preventing crime, patrolling beaches on quad bikes, scooters, boats, vehicles and on foot.
Guàrdia Urbana
Barcelona’s Guàrdia Urbana told CNN that more than 174 “support packs,” containing a T-shirt, flip-flops, pants and even a metro card, has been issued to victims of theft on the city’s 10 beaches this summer.
The Catalan city has a number of beaches that are particularly busy during summer months, including a number of nudist hotspots.
But as well as attracting millions of tourists every year, Barcelona’s beaches can also attract thieves and criminals.
The city’s police told CNN that there are on average three thefts a day in the city — which, according to Reuters, welcomes about 30 million visitors each year.
As part of attempts to keep crime at bay, officers with the city’s Guàrdia Urbana have been patrolling its beaches using scooters, beach quads, vehicles, boats and their feet in a move to prevent crime and improve surveillance of the area during the busy summer period, which runs from May to September.
City police have also stepped up their efforts to control swimming in dangerous areas, unlicensed vending of food and drink and petty crime and thefts.