As my time in Madrid comes to an end, I have started to think back over the semester and all the advice I did or, more likely, didn’t take. During our first week, orientation covered everything: how to get a metrocard, how to sign up for classes, and, especially, how to stay safe in a large city. Our directors at Georgetown and at Comillas Pontifical University repeatedly emphasized that we must be constantly vigilant against pickpocketing, scams, and crime in general. We should not end up as another stupid American tourist! This advice is well meaning and important, but surprisingly, I have felt even safer here than I do at Georgetown.
For most of us in Madrid, it is not uncommon to take the metro at midnight or walk home alone at 4:00 a.m. American students are not the only ones who experience this feeling of safety. According to the OECD Better Life Index, 82 percent of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night compared to the OECD average of 68 percent. To cite more concrete facts, the homicide rate in Spain is 0.6 per 100,000, compared to the OECD average of 4.1. Statistically speaking, Spain is a fairly safe country.
Apart from Spain’s status as a First World, Western country, it is the cultural beliefs of Madrileños that prevent crime. One of Spain’s prominent cultural characteristics is collectivism: the belief that the group is more important than the individual. America, on the other hand, is unsurprisingly a firmly individualistic country. I have been a benefactor of Spain’s cultural collectivism multiple times due to my own carelessness. On the metro, concerned passengers have reminded me to zip up my purse or keep an eye on my bags when I’m not paying attention. A man even stepped between a group of friends and I when another passenger appeared to be trying to pickpocket us.
Aside from very friendly strangers, a heavy police presence and strict gun laws enforce safety. In Madrid alone, we have the municipal police (Policía Municipal), the national police (Cuerpo Nacional de Policía), the special security brigades (Brigadas Especiales de Seguridad), and the civil guard (guardia civil). It is not uncommon to see police with semi-automatics in major squares or in the airport. For citizens, the right to bear arms is a privilege, not a right. Automatic weapons are forbidden, and you can only obtain a firearm license for protection if you prove a need.
Despite precautions, violence happens. Last month, we went to Bernabéu Stadium to see Real Madrid play Legia Warsaw, a team whose fans are known for violence. The event was declared “high risk” and in preparation, security was upped to over 1,500 officers and 700 private security guards. Though the night unfortunately ended with five Polish fans and two Spanish policemen being injured, Madrileños still showed up in full force. They trusted the Spanish authorities to keep them safe while rooting for their home team.
That leaves one final, larger type of violence: terrorism. While unfortunate and morbid to consider, a terrorist attack was a realistic scenario that we covered in orientation, as a precaution. Thankfully, so far that has not been the case. Yet, just this morning, we received an email from the U.S. State Department that warned of a threat for traveling at all in Europe until February 20, 2017 and advised extra caution when “attending large holiday events, visiting tourist sites, using public transportation, and frequenting places of worship, restaurants, hotels, etc.” Since we have to keep living life here, it is not possible to avoid all of those things, but it is a sobering reminder that safety on all levels is on the minds of everyone here.
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