514 police officers deployed to Madrid to deal with youth gangs

The government have announced that 514 police officers will be deployed in Madrid to deal with the rise in youth gangs, with seven districts in the city and Parla to be targeted. It is understood that they will initially be based in the area from the February 10^th to the 28^th.
Mercedes González, a government delegate in the Community of Madrid, made the announcement during her visit to the Leganitos Police Station. The announcement follows a rise in stabbings with another two left dead this weekend, allegedly at the hands of members of youth gangs in various brawls.
The new “Action Plan against youth gangs” will seek to detect and identify members of the gangs and to prevent their proliferation and to neutralise the escalation in violence.
The deployment is effective today and will take place in the Madrid districts of Carabanchel, Latina, Puente de Vallecas, Usera, Villaverde, Fuencarral, Centro, Arganzuela, Ciudad Lineal, San Blas and Hortaleza , in addition to the municipality from Parla .
These areas are deemed to have a greater presence of gang members and a higher incidence of violent crime. Attention will also be given to public areas such as the Madrid Metro and the train stations.
Officers are being drawn from the National Police, from the Police Stations of the affected districts, in addition to the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR), Mobile Section, Cavalry, Citizen Attention Groups and Information Brigades , Citizen Security, Judicial Police, Immigration and Borders.
González has said the plan is not temporary but will be kept in place until the activity of these groups ceases. She has also indicated weekly meetings will be held to make adjustments to the plan as necessary.
González thanked Madrid Police Headquarters for: “Bringing the force together in less than a week showing an incredible capacity for reaction and action.” She went on to say: “We cannot forget that it remains a priority to find to the authors of the death of the minor in the Central District.”
She also commended the police for the arrest of three members of the Dominicans Don’t Play (DDP) gang members for the alleged involvement in the murder of a 25-year-old in Usera last Saturday.

González concluded by saying that she wanted to send a message: “The first for citizens to be calm, you are in good hands. The second to young people, this is not a game. These gangs are very dangerous and involvement can ruin and end your life.”
She finished by saying that she wanted to send a message to the rest of the government and public institutions that: “From a security point of view we are giving everything we have with 514 police officers deployed to deal with the gangs.” She did however make it clear that “this is a societal problem, which must be addressed from many angles: with youth policies, with services and social integration, because that is the root and that is where action must be taken.”

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