Guardia Urbana Barcelona: Turno de Noche - La Rambla

[2011] “As I walk along La Rambla, I take in everything that’s happening around me.” These are the words of Corporal Vadillo of the Barcelona City Police, while on a night patrol in plainclothes through the city center. He is 36 years old and has been with the force for eleven years. The City Police is similar to the municipal police in any other town in Spain. Vadillo has always worked the night shift. Around ten o’clock at night, the shift begins, and the plainclothes City Police patrol heads down to the Metro entrance. There, they catch a group of young pickpockets. They position themselves near the turnstiles and practically glue themselves to their victims. At the slightest sudden movement, they seize the opportunity to steal wallets or purses without anyone noticing. The young men are arrested and taken to the police station. But a few minutes later, they return to the subway and, right in front of our camera, steal again using the same method. Corporal Vadillo is dressed in civilian clothes: jeans, sneakers, a t-shirt, and his unmistakable cap. Sometimes, his disguise goes even further: "Here, they recognize you even when you're walking backward." Vadillo has put on a bandage on his arm and some striking glasses to blend in more. "I'm sure that's how criminals recognize me before my own mother." His objective now is to camouflage himself among the pedestrians to reach a group of con artists. From the security cameras at the police station, the officers explain how these swindlers operate. "They're perfectly organized. Around them are a group of lookouts who warn them if they spot the police. And next to the game, the accomplices act as bait to lure the victims into the trap." The night continues for the officers of the Guardia Urbana (Barcelona's municipal police). Vadillo intervenes in a conflict between a neighbor and the owner and customers of a bar over noise. After a tense moment, the Corporal acts, with great diplomacy, as an arbitrator to resolve the conflict. They also cracked down on street vending on La Rambla. The officers' arrival caused a stampede of vendors fleeing through the Metro corridors. "Only one person was arrested for selling counterfeit goods, and he will receive an administrative citation," the officers confirmed. Vadillo and his colleagues also assisted the officers conducting a breathalyzer checkpoint. "We positioned ourselves a few meters away to observe if any car tried to evade the checkpoint." A few minutes later, they spotted a suspicious vehicle reversing. The driver, a woman, refused to take the breathalyzer test. After being repeatedly warned by the officers about her uncooperative attitude, the result was surprising: "She registered three times the legal limit and was arrested," the officer confirmed. Later that night, Vadillo introduced us to the best pickpocket in the technique known as "the Ronaldinho." The thief explains to us, while eating a hamburger, in great detail, the feint he performs to snatch the wallet, cell phone, or gold chain the victim is wearing. But Vadillo asks him how many wallets he steals per night and how often he's arrested by the Guardia Urbana (Barcelona's municipal police). "Two or three times out of 15 isn't bad at all. The percentage is good. I thought we were worse." "I'm the Boss of La Rambla." That's how a young Romanian man introduces himself after being arrested for stealing a young woman's wallet while she was strolling along La Rambla. "I didn't even realize what was happening," the young woman tells us, surprised by the officers' swift action. At the police station, "The Boss of La Rambla" confesses that he's already friends with all of Vadillo's colleagues: "They've all arrested me at some point." The night is drawing to a close, but there's still time for another police intervention to surprise us. In a fight between immigrants, the Corporal tries to restrain a tall, Black man who unexpectedly throws several punches at Vadillo's face, which he is unable to avoid. "What a scare! He hit me in the face." "That's the end of the shift. Have a good rest, everyone." That's how Corporal Vadillo says goodbye to his colleagues at the end of his night shift every day. "Night Watch" is a report by María López.