Prostitution and drug dealing are hardly new issues in Magalluf. So consistent have problems with both been over the years that it is hardly surprising that residents and businesses feel as if they have been neglected by the authorities.
The prostitution which really angers people is that which masquerades as prostitution but is the disguise for violent crime. For years, there have been demands for action and for years there has been a failure to take action. Intermittently, there have been police operations and periodically there have been protests, but the problem never ceases.
Calvia town hall has insisted that there are fewer incidents than in the past. The town hall convinces very few people when it makes such a statement. The regional government's tourism minister recently said much the same, adding that the prostitutes are a matter for the state, in other words the national government delegation and the state security forces.
While there is truth to this, the explanation is seen as passing the buck or as a washing of the hands. Are there not also adequate bylaws, and if they need strengthening, public order ordinance should have teeth to simply outlaw street prostitution. If there is any hint of this prostitution occurring, the police can therefore move. The argument has long been that for local police to act (against the violence), an incident has to be seen. It is reactive rather than proactive.
New protests are promised. There was one during the early hours the other day. As well as the prostitutes, there are the dealers. They too have a form of disguise - illegal street sellers. The curious nature of control is ever more curious. One illegal activity is dealt with now and then, while another goes hand in hand with it. Two times illegal, and both problems persist.
Residents and businesses point to ever more numbers of illegal sellers. It remains to be seen if the latest ordinance from the town hall will bring about a reduction. Meanwhile, businesses say that they are suffering because of the criminal activity. They maintain that fewer people are coming to Magalluf or are out and about less than in previous years.