The number of crimes reported in the Algarve in 2020 was the lowest ever, according to the Annual Internal Security Report. Still, according to this document, the district of Faro it was the fourth in the country with the most reports of crimes over the past year.
«The districts of Lisbon, Porto, Setúbal, Faro, Braga and Aveiro recorded the highest incidence of participation, representing 68,9% of all reported crime», highlights the report.
Despite this prominent position in the negative, Faro it is also in fourth place among the districts that had the biggest decrease in overall crime last year, with a decrease of 12,7%. Nationally, the decrease was 11%.
"The results of 2020 are the lowest value ever", praises the report, which also states that "violent and serious crime represents 4,2% of all reported crime" in Portugal.
In the Algarve, the most reported crime, and which had an increase in relation to the previous year, was that of motor vehicle theft (see graph), with 1406 participations. This is followed by the offense to simple voluntary physical integrity, with 1360 occurrences, but which decreased by 17,4% in 2020.
The pandemic and confinement ended up having an influence on the number of participations and also on the type of crimes most practiced. For example, home burglaries declined significantly, while computer scams increased in the region, according to the report.
With regard to violent and serious crime, robbery on public roads, except for towing, was the most practiced.
Here, too, there were significant fluctuations compared to the previous year in some types of crime. For example, home burglary increased by 86% and rape crimes dropped by 76% in the Algarve in 2020.
By municipalities, only three municipalities had more participations last year than in 2019: Olhão, São Brás de Alportel and Castro Marim.
Loulé is the municipality with the highest number of crime reports in 2020, with 3524, followed by Faro, with 2863, and Albufeira, with 2570.
Conversely, only 67 crimes were registered in the municipality of Alcoutim, in the whole year of 2020.
Looking at the evolution of criminality in the Algarve over the last 14 years, there was a significant decrease in 2020 in the number of crimes reported: less 2987.
With regard to violent and serious crime, it decreased by 5,3% from 2019 to 2020.
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