A couple of weeks into a month of Spanish students' end-of-course holidays in Arenal, and the assessment by Llucmajor town hall and police is that there is less disorder than in the past.
The chief of police, Sergi Torrandell, says that, to date, things have gone "very well". Greater police presence has meant that specific cases of antisocial behaviour have been dealt with quickly. He adds that the students are better behaved and less rowdy, that residents' complaints have been "minor" and that where there have been complaints, these have mainly been related to excessive noise from hotels rather than on the streets. The police acknowledge that there have been some examples of vandalism - one drunken student was responsible for smashing car mirrors.
The fencing-off of the beach at night with just one point of access hasn't stopped students going onto the beach, but they haven't been taking alcohol. Incidents have therefore been prevented.
The mayor of Llucmajor, Xisca Lascolas, also says that there has been a decrease in the number of incidents. "For this, we must thank the prevention and awareness in the resort and in the hotels." Residents suggest that the student season has been much quieter than in previous years.
A contributory factor may well be that students have had to sign forms that make clear their liability for breaches of regulations. It is also said that the number of students is down by around a quarter.