Jorge Juan Pérez: Guardia Civil's online complaint system receives 3,122 complaint reports in its first month

What does the implementation of the Guardia Civil's online reporting system mean for the average citizen?

It mainly involves the addition of a new service that the Guardia Civil makes available to citizens to complement and facilitate the filing of certain reports and non-criminal communications, meaning that the online complaint does not replace the possibility of filing complaints or non-criminal communications in person.

The Online Complaint system was launched on 4 July. In that first month it was live, the Guardia Civil received 3,122 complaint reports broken down as follows: 1,461 for fraudulent charges with bank cards and other electronic payment methods, 481 for theft, 467 for criminal damage, 83 for theft inside a vehicle and 34 for stolen vehicles.

Fraudulent charges using bank cards and other electronic payment methods account for 46.8% of the total number of complaints. It is worth mentioning the one report filed by a person for €93,708 and another for an alleged fraud by investing relating to an investment in bitcoin for a value €250,000.

What are the benefits of online reporting for citizens and the police response?

The main advantages are the convenience for citizens of being able to file a complaint from wherever they are, provided they have the necessary technical equipment, without having to go to a police centre to do so and wait to be assisted in person. Similarly, the immediate nature of the online complaint facilitates a quicker initial police response by the Guardia Civil, which has a very positive effect on the clarification of the crime and the investigation of the culprits, as well as on recovery of stolen goods. In this regard, since the launch of this initiative, thanks to the immediate complaints, numerous asset recoveries have been carried out for the benefit of the victims.

Over these first few weeks of activity, a number of situations have illustrated the advantages of online reporting. For example, thanks to the rapid processing of a complaint in a case where a person's bank account was debited with €733.79 for the purchase of airline tickets, a person was arrested at Palma de Mallorca airport as the alleged perpetrator of a fraud offence as they were boarding a flight to Madrid. A total 74 proposals for complaint reports were also received from large retail outlets.

There is also a cross-border aspect to this service. We have seen complaints from both from Spanish citizens abroad and from foreign residents from other European Union countries with a certificate issued by their own country, specifically from a Portuguese citizen, for alleged fraudulent charges using bank cards and other electronic payment methods, which occurred in Spain. 

What objectives has the Guardia Civil set for this new platform and how can it contribute to increasing security in Spain?

Within the permanent spirit of innovation and constant adaptation to the demands of society, the Guardia Civil has made this service available to the public with the aim of responding to a new paradigm in the relationship between the Administration and the public, making it possible to communicate and carry out procedures online; in this case, the filing of certain types of complaint reports.

The Guardia Civil has a huge demarcation covering 83% of the national territory. Despite having almost 2,000 citizen service points, the Guardia Civil endeavours to ensure 24-hour service to all municipalities.

The opening of this new channel facilitates the reporting of suspected criminal offences, reducing the number of crimes not brought to the attention of law enforcement, known as the black number. This allows for earlier investigation and police action. It all amounts to an improvement in the results obtained, helping improve the subjective perception of security among the population.

The implementation of the online complaint system allows for complaints to be made online, while other efforts of the Guardia Civil improve in-person services to citizens. While maintaining the network of citizen service points unchanged, this initiative comes with others such as the Mobile Citizen Service Offices or the SIGO Mobility with an on-site action module for patrols.