Lanzarote registered 1,473 crimes during the first quarter of the year, one of them an attempted homicide. This is clear from the Criminality Balance of the Ministry of the Interior, which, however, reflects a decrease in crime on the island as a whole compared to the previous year. On the other hand, in the case of Arrecife, although slightly, the number of crimes has increased.
Precisely, the attempted homicide took place in Arrecife, which had not been revealed until now. According to what has been confirmed by the National Police, it occurred in the early morning of January 26 in a house on Gran Canaria street and resulted in one detainee, who attacked his brother with a knife.
That day, the police force received a call, in which they were alerted that a young man with psychiatric problems was "very aggressive" with his relatives. Once in the house, the agents were able to verify that the brother was bleeding from the neck and that the father was holding the alleged aggressor, about 26 years old, who was arrested.
More drug trafficking crimes on the island as a whole
This was the only attempted homicide that was registered in the first three months of the year in Lanzarote, although this represents an increase of 100%, since none occurred in the same period of 2020. However, there were no murders in the first quarter of last year or in 2021, nor were there any kidnappings.
With respect to the rest of the crimes, on the island as a whole, only criminal offenses for drug trafficking have increased, which, with a total of 13, have grown by 85.7%.
The crimes that have decreased the most are those against sexual freedom and indemnity, which have gone from 27 to 8, falling by 70.4%. Of these, one was a sexual assault with penetration, which has decreased by 50%, since between January and March of last year two were registered.
Regarding vehicle thefts, they have experienced a decrease of 42.3% with 15 infractions registered, nine less than in the first three months of 2020. For their part, thefts have fallen by 25.4% from 465 to 347, while robberies with violence and intimidation, with a total of 23, have decreased by 36.1%.
Robberies with force in homes, establishments and facilities have also decreased by 19.2% from 125 to 101. Of these, 64 took place in homes, registering a decrease in this case of 7.2%, since in the first quarter of 2020 there were 69.
Finally, serious and less serious crimes of injury and affray have fallen by 18.8% on the island as a whole, from 32 to 26, and the rest of the criminal offenses, with a total of 939, have decreased by 5.3%.
42.2% of the crimes were registered in Arrecife
Arrecife concentrated 42.6% of the crimes that took place on the island in the first quarter. And, there were 628 criminal offenses that were registered in the capital of the island. Thus, crime has increased by 1.1% in Arrecife, since from January to March 2020 there were 621 crimes.
In addition to the attempted homicide, Arrecife also accounts for the only sexual assault with penetration that took place on the island. In both cases, these crimes have increased by 100% in the capital, since in the same period of the previous year there were none.
In Arrecife the crimes of theft have also grown by 43.8% from 112 to 161, as well as the crimes of drug trafficking, which have increased by 40%. And, between January and March of this 2021, seven were registered, two more than in the first quarter of last year.
On the other hand, the rest of the crimes against sexual freedom and indemnity have decreased by 70% from 10 to 3, and robberies with force in homes, establishments and other facilities have also decreased by 30.6% with 25 infractions registered, nine less than in the first three months of 2020. Of these, 12 occurred in homes, reflecting in this case a decrease of 29.4%.
Vehicle thefts have also decreased in Arrecife from 17 to 13 (23.5% less), as well as robberies with violence and intimidation which, with a total of 16, have decreased by 15.8%. Regarding serious and less serious crimes of injury and affray, a total of 15 are reflected in the first quarter of this year, one less than in 2020. Finally, the rest of the criminal offenses have fallen by 4.9% in the capital, from 406 to 386.
