A British expat hotspot has become overrun with hundreds of vigilantes after a spate of burglaries which police were unable to stop.
Pinar de Campoverde on the southern Costa Brava has seen more than 500 residents patrolling its streets as part of its Thief Alert Group, after people living in the town said cops were not turning up quickly enough.
According to those living in the town, there have been more than 30 robberies in recent months with criminals targeting money and jewellery.
A meeting on Sunday night calling for an increase in police patrols saw more than 300 people attend.
One resident, Sara Nenarejos Carillo launched an online petition demanding police patrols saying their slow response times were causing “increased anger” among homeowners.
She told British expat newspaper, the Olive Press: “There’ve been 30 robberies in the last months or so, with up to four in one night.”
Gang members wear balaclavas and dark clothing, tending to operate in the early evening when they believe homes are empty.
The vigilante group has set up a system where residents can send them an alert when a potential robber is spotted and they can then visit the house reported, after the Policia Local and Guardia Civil have been called.
It has been reported that a number of them responded to an incident last Friday by carrying baseball bats and golf clubs to foil three attempted robberies after security alarms went off.
At the meeting on Sunday, protesters said they still had “full confidence” in the police but could not sit idly by to become the next victim and called on the local Pilar Council to increase patrols.
Pilar’s security councillor, Marina Saez, responded by pleading for “calm” to allow officers to do their job and did not back the vigilante patrols.
She said: “We are following several lines of inquiries that will hopefully bear fruit as soon as possible.”
The residents group has also been invited to a meeting with the town mayor, Jose Maria Perez, along with the Policia Local and the Guardia Civil by Ms Saez.
