Bladed weapons in Madrid: Municipal Police seize almost two per day
In the first four months of 2026, Madrid's Municipal Police recorded 200 interventions for bladed weapons offences, with 140 injured and two dead. The last weekend left five stabbed in different parts of the capital.
Five stabbed in one weekend in Madrid
Two stabbed in a fight over jealousy in a bar in Legazpi, two more injured in a bar brawl the following day in Las Rosas, and one stabbed in the early hours of the morning following a confrontation outside a bar in Usera. That was the toll of the last weekend in the capital, according to ABC citing police sources.
The same period coincided with the San Isidro festivities, which the Municipal Police described as "especially peaceful". During the special operation deployed on the meadow, the Municipal Police detained 38 people and confiscated 24 weapons. Officers also identified 2,744 people and 705 vehicles, carried out 2,553 security searches, issued 379 traffic citations, 492 fines for street vending, 137 for breach of by-laws and 136 for drug possession. During the celebrations, 19 children went missing.
Madrid's vice-mayor and delegate for Security and Emergencies, Inma Sanz, described Monday's festivities as a "success" given the absence of serious incidents. However, the City Council maintains growing concern about the proliferation of bladed weapons on the streets.
Almost two daily interventions for weapons so far this year
According to data collected by ABC, the Municipal Police have intervened in 200 operations for bladed weapons offences between January and April 2026, an average of almost two per day. In that same period, 140 injuries from bladed weapons and two fatalities were recorded.
Among the most notable operations of the period, Sanz highlighted the neutralisation of a man armed with a knife who was threatening residents in Villaverde, for which officers used a taser gun. She also mentioned the dismantling of three drug hideouts in Puente de Vallecas, a joint operation with the National Police in which three kilos of drugs and several weapons were seized. Additionally, a juvenile member of a gang was arrested following a mass brawl; he was carrying a machete with a 34-centimetre blade.
Sanz calls for legal reforms against recidivism and criminal responsibility for minors
In light of this situation, the Security delegate has again demanded legislative changes to address multiple reoffending and increase police presence on public streets. Sanz also calls for a reform of the juvenile law which, in her words, would put an end to the use of children and adolescents to commit crimes when they are not criminally responsible or their criminal liability is less than that of an adult.
The crime record for the first four months of 2026
The overall police activity so far in 2026 reflects the breadth of the problem. The Municipal Police have arrested or investigated 105 people for bodily harm and 131 for gender-based violence. Added to this are 22 investigated for sexual abuse and assault, 76 for robbery with violence, 265 for public health crimes and 1,784 for road safety violations. Officers also recorded 2,789 interventions for drug possession and consumption, and issued 2,464 reports for illegal street vending.
Source: ABC