crime and punishment?

Other than the occasional act of vandalism and kids smoking joints down in one corner of the main parking lot, crime is virtually unheard of in our village. For the past six months there's been a problem with groups of teenagers congregating on the steps above the main square. Having grown up in a small town, I understand their boredom. And my town even had a second-run movie theatre and college parties to try to sneak into. However, the situation has been growing increasingly worrisome. On weekend nights, the crowd has swelled to 50, 60 kids. Passing women have been harassed, and the noise has been more than just "disruptive". Neighbors and business owners have complained to the local police. Nothing was done. Our friend N., who owns an art gallery at the north end of the square, decided to organize a "take back the corner" night. She began to keep the gallery open later in the evenings and blared classical music into the street. This worked temporarily, but as soon as she closed the gallery, the gangs of teens returned. More complaints were filed with the police, and again nothing was done. One police officer (there are a total of three local policemen in our town; there is also a Guardia Civil office, but they don't involve themselves in these sorts of issues) admitted part of the problem was a familial one. The village comprises essentially seven or eight old families, and the officers weren't comfortable getting cousins, nephews, sisters, etc. in trouble with the law. People were assured the problem would be handled by the families. But the crowds continued to take over the corner. This past Sunday night, our friend L., a 76-year-old Brooklynite, was walking home at 11pm after having dinner with N. As she approached the corner of the square, some of the teens yelled to her, but she carried on walking. Suddenly, 15 of them surrounded her, one grabbed the watch from her arm, and they all took off. In shock but not out of her wits, she wisely went into a nearby bar. Two men returned with her to the scene, and the couple of kids still loitering about pointed out the home of the alleged ringleader. When they knocked, no one answered. L., a former dancer, is tiny woman (I believer her Boxer weighs more than she), but she's one tough cookie. The watch is insured, but she's most devastated because it was her husband's watch, which she's worn ever since he died 10 years ago. In all her years growing up and living in New York, she's never been robbed. Big Jim ran into one of the policemen Monday morning. He asked if Big Jim had seen anything when he walked the dogs Sunday night. He also told Big Jim the Guardia Civil was involved in the investigation and that the mayor had been notified. According to the policeman, the word on the street was that the thieves were not from our town but from nearby villages (which contradicts what L. and the two men from the bar were originally told). L. realizes the watch is probably sitting in a Malaga pawn shop and gone forever. The question now is whether the police will actually do their job and if need be, bring charges against someone from the village regardless of family ties. As Big Jim told the police officer, "It is important that the people are caught because next time, Antonio, the victim could be your mother." hasta manana, mylifeinspain