Although robberies and crime in Arrecife have been increasing exponentially in recent years, the armed robbery recorded this Tuesday in a jewelry store has marked a turning point for the capital's City Council itself. "Other times I myself have tried to convey calm, because I think Arrecife is a quiet city and I still think so, but this situation is also alarming to me," said the Councilor for Local Police, Jacobo Lemes.
After this new robbery, which for the first time has left two people injured by firearms, the councilor has announced that he will request a meeting with the Island Directorate of the State Administration on the island. "We must try to have a meeting with the different resources we have in the city, local police, national police and even civil guard, to analyze the situation," stressed Lemes, who believes that this latest robbery, in which the thief shot two people, "is something to be alarmed about."
"I don't remember having a similar event," says the councilor, who is confident that the National Police will arrest the perpetrator. However, almost 24 hours after the event, no arrests have been confirmed for these events. As relatives of the victims told La Voz, a single person, hooded and armed, entered the jewelry store and pointed the gun at the owner, who is 65 years old and in a wheelchair.
When at one point he tried to confront him, the robber ended up shooting both him and his sister, who was also in the store. Fortunately, neither was seriously injured and are currently recovering favorably.
"He can do it again"
"We were lucky, or these gentlemen were lucky, that he hit them in an arm or a leg, but he could have hit them in the chest or in the head," emphasizes Jacobo Lemes, insisting on his "concern" about what happened. In addition, this was not the first robbery for this jewelry store, as it has suffered up to eight in recent years, although none of this severity.
"An element of this caliber, who already has the weapon and already has the experience, and may not be right in the head, may do it again," the councilor said on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero.
Therefore, in addition to hoping that his arrest will occur soon, he insists on the need to hold a meeting with the Island Directorate to convey the City Council's concern. "If necessary, we will go to higher authorities, we will go to Las Palmas, because what happened yesterday should not be repeated," he insisted.
In any case, the councilor also wanted to emphasize that "in all cities, even in smaller municipalities, we have also seen that they have had robberies," so he believes that "it cannot be said that Arrecife is a Bronx." However, he does admit that "it is worrying and we have to tackle this situation."
And to achieve this, one of the problems is the lack of resources. In this regard, the councilor points out that "citizen security is the responsibility of the National Police," but states that "the Local Police also assume part, because they do not have enough personnel either," so "normally" they coordinate. However, the City Council admits that it is necessary to make a greater effort and organize a meeting to prevent this type of event from happening again.
