Aumentan los delitos registrados en Bilbao en 2024, con más agresiones sexuales.

PNV, EH Bildu, PSE y Elkarrekin celebrate a new meeting of the Bilbao Security Pact

Bilbao recorded a total of 29,751 in-person crimes in 2024, a 2.5% increase from the previous year, of which 245 were sexual assaults, a 48.8% increase from 2023, according to the crime data report from the past year presented at the Security Pact meeting.

The political parties that signed the extension of the Bilbao Security Pact, PNV, EH Bildu, PSE, and Elkarrekin, in July 2024, held a new follow-up meeting on Thursday, chaired by the mayor, Juan Mari Aburto, and attended by the councilor for Security, Amaia Arregi.

According to the Bilbao City Council, the meeting reported on the combined crime data from the Ertzaintza and Municipal Police in Bilbao last year, as well as other issues outlined in the pact, such as the formalization of the purchase of premises for the future Santutxu Neighborhood Inspection or the quarterly data from the security perception survey.

Regarding criminal incidents, the City Council indicated that in 2024, there were 29,751 in-person crimes in the city, a very similar figure (+2.5%) to the previous year, with 29,027 crimes.

Of these, 16,826 (56.55%) were thefts, the most recurring criminal modality in Bilbao. This is slightly higher than in 2023, when 15,462 thefts were reported.

Other crimes against property, such as robberies with violence and/or intimidation, showed a 4.55% decrease from the previous year, with 1,491 in 2024 and 1,562 in 2023.

There was also a 32.01% decrease in robberies in businesses (308 in 2024 and 453 in 2023) and a 14.33% decrease in home burglaries (556 in 2024 and 649 in 2023). There were also fewer vehicle thefts, with a 12.78% decrease, with 116 recorded in 2024 and 133 in 2023.

In absolute terms, crimes against property and socio-economic order increased slightly by 3.47%, with 23,797 last year and 22,998 the previous year.

As for crimes against persons, there was an increase in crimes against sexual freedom, especially in cases of sexual assault, which increased from 165 to 245, a 48.48% increase.

The City Council noted that these crimes «barely represent 0.82% of all in-person crimes,» but due to their social repercussions and connotations, it is an issue that is being addressed from various perspectives, not just law enforcement.» Similarly, there is a discussion of Domestic Violence, which increased from 326 to 371, a 13.80% increase.

Crimes related to injuries, the most common in the category of crimes against persons, remained very similar with 1,583 in 2024, compared to 1,565 in 2023.

OVER 4,000 PEOPLE ARRESTED

According to data from 2024, a total of 4,115 arrests were made by the Ertzaintza and Municipal Police, 2,071 and 2,044, respectively.

Approximately, of the individuals arrested by the Bilbao Municipal Police, 42% were for crimes against property (theft, robbery, and damage), 20.5% for crimes against persons (domestic violence, injuries, and crimes against sexual freedom), 21% for crimes against the Administration of Justice (especially breaches of sentence or precautionary measures), 7.5% for crimes against public safety (drugs, road safety, fires), and 9% for crimes against public order (disorderly conduct, resistance, and attacks).

In 43% of the arrests made by the Bilbao Municipal Police, the individual had been previously arrested at least once by the Urban Guard.

OTHER ISSUES

In addition to the combined crime data, the pact follow-up meeting addressed other topics and evaluated the degree of compliance with the measures within the pact, such as the formalization of the purchase of premises that will house the future Santutxu Neighborhood Inspection, in a location at 27 Santutxu Street.

Likewise, the data from the Security Perception and Victimization Survey for the first four months of 2025 were presented, showing an improvement in perception – reaching 5.82 – compared to the waves in July and December, which scored 5.73 out of 10.