In Spain, reporting a crime is known as making a denuncia.
If you have the misfortune to need to make a denuncia in Lanzarote during a holiday, Movistar offer a service allowing you to report the details in English over the telephone.
The 902 102 112 helpline is available for complaints relating to the following criminal offenses:
* Robberies and thefts
– of and in vehicles
– of documents and personal effects
– in accommodation or establishments
* Missing documents and or personal effects
* Damage
The telephone line can be used to report a theft when a burglary has taken place but not if something has been stolen by someone using intimidation or where the offender is known, in this case you have to appear in person at the police station to make the complaint.
Do not ring this number if you require the immediate attention of the police, call 112 Centro Coordinador de Emergencias y Seguridad (CECOES) if you need emergency assistance.
Once you have made the call and completed the complaint details, you will be instructed to visit a designated police station within 48 hours to sign the paperwork.
Personal Experience
Sadly one of our friends needed to use this service recently following a burglary from their holiday accommodation in Costa Teguise. Despite having some Spanish, our friend having trekked the length of the resort to the Guardia Civil offices was told to come back with a translator to report the crime. Not really knowing where to go next and under some time pressure, this telephone service proved to be an excellent solution to the situation.
Once reported, our friend was advised to visit the Comisaría de Policía in Arrecife within 48 hours to sign the documentation. This building is situated just off the Vía Medular by Puerto Naos (the harbour area in the capital), they are open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 14:00. You need to report to the reception office on the left of the main entrance and then take a seat in the waiting room opposite on the right. When it was their turn, they had to read through the denuncia which had now been translated from their English report to Spanish to confirm all details were correct before signing multiple copies, one of which is retained by them for their insurance company.
This is a premium rate service from Movistar, but probably less expensive than paying for a translator.
Help is available in four different languages on 902 102 112 from Monday to Sunday, English & French is manned from 09:00 – 21:00, plus German & Italian from 09:00 – 15:00.
We sincerely hope that you aren’t affected by crime during your holiday in Lanzarote, remember to lock your valuables away in the safe whilst you are out and don’t leave them on show in parked cars.
Check out the Alertcops app in Lanzarote for crime information and reporting. Alertcops App.
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