SPANISH CRIME RATES LOWER THAN BRITAIN

According to the Euro Weekly, new figures have revealed that the crime rate in Britain is more than double the crime rate here in Spain.

Three European countries have the lowest crime rates and one of them is Spain with 44 offences per 1,000 people.  Compare this to the UK which has one of the highest rates, with 91 offences per 1,000 people.

150,200 National Police and Guardia Civil, have solved 40.5 per cent of crimes. The result is that less than 10 per cent of the population regard crime as a problem in Spain.

The police have take a stand against money laundering since 2003, and last year 115 operations against this type of organised crime were carried out.

Statistics will be revealed at a seminar called Safety Strategies: Police Co-operation and Citizen Participation, which, is being held in Santander.  The aim of the seminar is to show the importance of the different forces within the EU working side by side to fight crime and to identify new risks, connected to globalisation and the development of new technologies.  Also identifying which civilians can help in the fight against crime will be another aim of the Seminar.

 

Do you reckon there is anything the population on the Costa del Sol can do to help keep up the good work?

Posted via email from PropertiesDirectSpain.com

SPANISH PROPERTY SALES ON THE INCREASE

I saw this article on

PGM Property World Spain Blog and I thought it was worth sharing with you all. Let me know your thoughts!

There is no denying that the Spanish property market, like many others around the world, has been hit hard by the current recession, but if the figures just released are anything to go by, it looks as though things may be turning the corner.

Last Friday saw the Spanish government report the first increase in house sales in three years.  In the final quarter of 2009, property sales rose by 4.1% against the same period of last year, making it the first year-on-year rise since 2006.   With a total of 130,572 properties finding their way off the market between October and December, this represented a 21.4% increase on the period between July to September.

With the recession in Spain really starting to bite towards the latter end of 2008, the property market during the whole of the year 2009 was never likely to be anything other than fairly dismal.  Indeed, with just over 413,000 sales throughout the course of 2009, this represented an 18% decrease over the previous year and a drop of 46% on 2007.

Reports indicate that the national statistics seem to be suggesting, however, that Spanish property prices may well be bottoming out, making this an excellent time for investors to make their move.  Although recovery may still be slow to arrive, as is always the case, it is bound to happen, and it is those who get their timing just right who will undoubtedly make the greatest gains.

Of course with its great climate, ease of accessibility and the cheap cost of flights into Malaga Airport, the Costa del Sol has continued to be a firm favourite for holidaymakers despite uncertain economic times.  As the pressures begin to ease, it is also almost certain to continue to be one of the most popular choices for those in the UK who are looking to emigrate or invest in a holiday home or rental property.

Posted via email from PropertiesDirectSpain.com