Renewal of the Civic Officers service in crowded tourist areas

The City Council is to allocate €1 million euros this year, funded from proceeds raised through the Tax on Stays in Tourist Establishments (IEET) to the Civic Officers service. The aim is to promote civic and responsible uses of, as well as positive community life in, public spaces that attract large crowds of visitors, coinciding with the resumption of tourist activity. The last two years of the pandemic saw the service re-orientated towards support for vaccination points and other related work.

The service is managed by Barcelona de Serveis Municipal and has 58 regular officers throughout the year, and as many as 70 during the summer months and at points and areas with high concentrations of tourists. The officers’ work is focused on improving positive community life with local residents, preventing disputes and anti-social behaviour through awareness-raising and information on the rules of positive community life and use of public spaces.

Civic Officers will regularly patrol the neighbourhoods of La Barceloneta, Sant Antoni, in the Barri Gòtic, throughout the year, as well as Plaça de les Glòries and Montjuïc mountain. There will be extra officers deployed in the Sagrada Família area during the summer months. The Civic Officers’ service will be in operation in Gràcia from July to September.

External Civic Officers will also be working regularly at Turó de la Rovira and the Magic Fountain and from time to time at La Boqueria market.

Civic Officers also undertake morning-time support work throughout the year at the 10 Citizen Help and Information Offices (OACS).