Millions flock here for the beautiful beaches

Millions flock to Benidorm every year and enjoy a wonderfully relaxing break, making the most of what the resort has to offer.
For the vast majority it is a wonderful carefree experience, but for a very small minority, who become a victim of crime - and in a foreign environment to boot it can be the exact opposite.

Last week the new Foreign Tourist Assistance office "SATE" was opened in Benidorm - with British Consul Paul Rodwell attending. He  praised the close working relationship which the Consualte have with both the Town Hall and Tourism department.... important when taking into account the number of British tourists that come to the resort every year.

So what is the procedure if you are in that unfortunate position ? Do you report it or not ? It will often depend on the type of crime committed and what has been taken. Fortunately, the vast majority of crimes are NOT violent and are deemed "petty crimes" which involve pickpockets or being scammed - I am not trying to lessen the gravity by any means as I know it can be an extremely traumatic experience for those involved.

"SATE" office is located on 1st floor

The language barrier often puts many off reporting a crime plus the time and inconvenience involved. This is the main reason for opening the SATE office - it is run by the National Police who have interpreters available for non Spanish speaking people. Although only open from 9am till 9pm Monday to Friday and 10am till 2pm at the weekend they do have a 24 hour telephone service available.

The number, which I suggest you make a note of is 902 102 112. 

You can use this service even if the office is open but you would rather report it from the comfort of your hotel. The incident will be logged and crime number allocated - you can then collect a crime report the following day from either the SATE office or the main police station in Benidorm - which will have an office police stamp on it. If you have had valuables such as jewellery  stolen you will need this report to make an insurance claim.

The main advantage of going in person to the SATE office is that you have the use of a telephone which you can use free of charge to call family or your insurance company back in the UK and also have access to a computer and internet. They are trying to make it as comfortable as possible for someone in distress and can offer a councillor if necessary. An important thing to know is that you can report the crime the following day if the office is shut. The SATE is a pilot  project this year which will be evaluated at the end of the season, but hopefully the aim is to have it open all year round in the future.

The office is looking at the possibility of processing passports at the office rather than victims of crime having to make the arduous journey up to the Consulate in Alicante - they want people going back with a good impression of Spain even if they have had a bad experience. Obviously this is a long term goal which will be a joint effort with the Consulate. They are also planning on issuing leaflets this summer, warning visitors of pickpockets and peamen which will be available at the airport and hotels and given out in welcome packs issued by tour operators - it is certainly a step in the right direction.

The Town Hall are also taking major steps to resolve the crime situation in Benidorm by amending the bylaw which regulates the use of public spaces - this will be presented to the security council next Tuesday. Among the practices that the City Council plan to ban are begging in the street - especially using babies, young children and puppies as "props", cleaning car windscreens at traffic lights and organised crime gangs which harass and intimidate by intentionally obstructing the pavement - otherwise known as the peamen! Fines will start at 750 euros and could go as high as 3000 euros for more serious and persistent offenders. Lets hope that it gets passed and actively applied to those offenders which blight the streets of Benidorm - the Mayor is certainly aware of the negative image that this portrays and so taking steps to address this on going issue.