The Association of Entrepreneurs of the Bay of Cala de Bou has expressed its “deep discomfort” with the label ‘Cala de Bronx’, used by some residents to refer to the neighbourhood following recent robberies, insisting that it is “a safe and prosperous environment”. Last Monday, Diario de Ibiza published the story of several neighbours who, tired of the robberies in Cala de Bou, created a WhatsApp group called ‘Cala de Bronx’, where they share information about incidents in the area which, they claim, have increased in recent weeks.
Business owners argue that this label “irresponsibly stigmatizes a consolidated residential and tourist area and directly harms entrepreneurs, hotels, restaurants and, above all, the wellbeing of neighbours and families who live here all year round”, they state in a press release.
They call for measures from Sant Josep Town Council
They add that they have invested “years of work to consolidate and promote the Cala de Bou brand” and that this “effort has been essential in creating its own identity, overcoming vague names that led to confusion”.
“We do not have objective data to show that Cala de Bou suffers more robberies or thefts than other areas of Ibiza. In fact, security incidents occur in various parts of the island and are not an exclusive or particularly aggravated problem in our bay”, they maintain.
Along these lines, they defend the area as “quiet, family-oriented and undergoing a positive transformation”. They also call on Sant Josep Town Council to publish “objective data on the actual security situation” and to actively promote “the image of Cala de Bou as a safe and prosperous environment, both to live in and to visit”.
“Cala de Bou is, and will continue to be, a welcoming and safe place for those who visit us and, above all, for those who call this place our home”, the business owners conclude.