Positive balance of the first actions of the new Domus unit of the Urban Police, created for the prevention, detection and action in cases of illegal occupation of real estate. The agents have already intervened in about 80 cases since it was launched last December and until the middle of this month of March.
The Domus Unit is made up of eight agents and works in coordination with the municipal departments of Serveis Socials, Convivència, Urbanisme and Estadística to guarantee a better response to this social problem. In addition to dealing with incidents related to illegal raids that are received through the Guàrdia Urbana headquarters, it also acts on communications received through the exclusive citizen service for illegal occupations.
During this period of almost four months, this specialized unit has intervened in 80 employment-related cases, investigating 82 people and making five arrests. As a result of this work, the Urban Police have opened 57 search proceedings; another 21 for fraud of various supplies (electricity, water, gas) and another 32 for damages derived from jobs.
Apart from intervening in the occupations and reporting the data to the judicial authorities, the agents of this unit maintain permanent contact with the public and with the owners of the flats, advising people who directly or indirectly suffer the consequences of employment.
The mayor of Badalona, ??Rubén Guijarro, has highlighted the good reception of this unit in its first months of operation. In a meeting with the top officials of the police force, the mayor analyzed the data, especially the cases in which the Urban Guard has been able to intervene directly. Guijarro appreciates that the Domus unit is effective in preventing illegal occupations and pointed out that one of the challenges is to further spread this service among citizens.
