Robbery on Jaume III: Luxury Watch Worth €53,000 Snatched – How Safe Are We Really?

Robbery on Jaume III: Luxury Watch Worth €53,000 Snatched – How Safe Are We Really?

A reality check after the assault of a German tourist in Palma

Last week, on a clear February morning (Palma reported around 12°C at the time), a German tourist strolled along Jaume III – shop windows, advertising signs, the faint rattle of buses in the distance, people with cups from the promenade cafés. Then what many here know only from stories happened: two young men approached, one grabbed the arm, the other ripped a valuable watch from the man's wrist. Value: about €53,000. The woman behind a jeweler's counter looked up, then it was all over.

Key question: Why are perpetrators still able to strike in broad daylight on one of Palma's busiest shopping streets, and why do we talk so little about the causes behind such crimes?

Critical analysis: At first glance the case sounds like a classic wrist snatch. The victim filed a report with the National Police; investigators requested surveillance footage from surrounding shops and are checking links to similar incidents. That's the usual investigative repertoire; similar cases have been reported, for example Robbery in Palma's Old Town: Luxury Watch Stolen — How Safe Are Evening Walks?. However, several points remain unanswered: there is so far no quick, visible response on site – no additional patrols, no information leaflets for passersby, no customer notices in the stores.

A second, sensitive point is the description of the suspects: the man described the suspects as 'Arab-looking'. Such information is part of the tragedy because it can help on the one hand but on the other hand promote prejudice and stigmatization without solid investigative facts. The police must communicate carefully; the public should not be steered into stereotypes.

What is missing from the public discourse: numbers and context. Many individual cases are reported, little about patterns. Reports range from waterfront robberies like Assault in Port d'Andratx: What the Rolex Robbery Means for Harbor Safety to attacks in residential areas; how many pickpocketings and robberies are there statistically in the historic center compared to other neighborhoods? How quickly does the police respond after a report? How many cases are solved? Without such data there is only outrage, but no targeted prevention.

Everyday view from Palma: Walking along Carrer Jaume III in the morning, you see tourists with shopping bags, a few delivery riders, street cafés and shop owners lifting their shutters. The scene looks harmless. This very everydayness makes it attractive for offenders: if no one is actively watching, a robbery can happen in seconds. I experienced this myself on another morning: a man stopped in front of a shop window, someone moved in close to him – hardly anyone reacted.

Concrete solutions that can be implemented immediately: 1) Increase visible presence – in the short term more foot patrols at peak times on Jaume III and the side streets. 2) Network shops and bars – simple channel numbers or WhatsApp groups so witness videos can be shared quickly. 3) Improve CCTV coordination – recordings exist, but they must be centrally requested and evaluated promptly; the police need personnel capacity for this. 4) Multilingual prevention notices – in German, English and Spanish at central points and in hotels so guests know how to react and how to file reports. 5) Prevention work in schools and communities, instead of relying solely on repression.

Also: support for victims. Filing a report is one thing – victims need concrete assistance: translation services, legal guidance and psychological help. For a holidaymaker who had a valuable watch snatched in broad daylight, the shock is great and the bureaucracy often even greater.

What the city and the tourism industry could do: coordinated prevention campaigns, joint financing for safer infrastructure (better lighting, visible cameras with clear responsibility), and a code of conduct for tourist businesses that includes staff training in de-escalation and observation.

One last unpopular point: we must speak openly about ethnic attributions. Quick categorization of suspects by origin hardly helps investigations and can fuel social tensions. Prevention and law enforcement must be based on facts, not assumptions.

Conclusion: The incident on Jaume III is a wake-up call, not a scandal-headline moment. It's not only about finding the perpetrators – the police must do that. It's about making the environment safer, improving collaboration between businesses, administration and security forces, and offering concrete help to victims. Those who live or work in Palma know the small everyday unease. It can be reduced if politics and society set clearer priorities.

Practical advice to finish: Carry valuables discreetly, use hotel safes, note serial numbers and the model designation (the watch was an IWC Portugieser 44, according to the owner) and report any incident to the police immediately. And if you see something, report it. A photo with your phone can be the decisive clue, as other recent reports such as Robbery in Front of Their Own Driveway: How Safe Do We Feel in Southwest Mallorca? illustrate.