«Making the Algarve an increasingly safe place for those who live, study, work and visit us» is, according to Superintendent Dário Prates, district commander of the Public Security Police, the objective that guides the PSP in its day-to-day activity. day and in all the programs it develops in the field.
Despite saying that the statistical data always place Portugal as one of the safest countries in the world, the commander admits that, often, «this security is not perceived by the citizens», which means that there is no «awareness that we are in a safe country".
“A registered crime is always one more crime. We cannot be satisfied with the perception that Portugal and the Algarve are safe and, therefore, we are not worried. It's not like this. We have to work on the feeling of security and on the reduction of registered crime, always».
In an interview with Sul Informação, the commander highlights the most frequent crimes in the region, explains how the PSP has intervened, what are the main challenges and needs.
Sul Informação – Despite the statistical data, which show that we live in a safe region, there are crimes that stand out and are more frequent. Which are they?
Dário Prates – The most recent reports show that 2020 and 2021 were years with a lower crime record, which was largely due to the restrictions of the pandemic. However, in 2022, we are resuming the criminal activity that existed in the pre-pandemic phase, in 2019.
From our assessment, which is permanent, when we compare a period up to September 2022 with the period up to September 2019, we see 2,1% less registered crime and we have, in terms of violent and serious crimes, 8,8% less.
As for the most prevalent crimes, the top five include home burglary with burglary, vehicle theft (especially in catalytic converter theft), commercial theft with burglary, crime of resistance and coercion on the employee and crime of domestic violence.
As for the theft of catalytic converters, monitoring was carried out at national level: several operations, by various commands, where Faro also participated in the dismantling and our expectation is that the next statistics will not be as burdensome as these.
Regarding thefts from homes, which is one of the crimes that most promotes the feeling of insecurity, we also have the situation at the level of centralized criminal investigation. This is a crime in which we have to bet a lot on collecting evidence to understand, at a national level as well, who the perpetrators are, because, often, we are talking about groups of very active perpetrators who are foreigners and who have authentic dedicated companies to crime, carrying out this type of crime across Europe, to which we are not alien.
Most of these home thefts with burglary are promoted by groups that are exclusively dedicated to this, groups that are not from here, and therefore it is necessary to analyze the modus operandi.
SI – And is there any kind of prevention?
DP – We managed to reconcile campaigns to prevent home thefts with times of the year when we know this happens most often.
When the time changes, for example, we know that the groups dedicated to these thefts at sunset become more active and we promote campaign actions to that effect.
But we understand that prevention campaigns are not enough, especially because, as we live in a safe country, people are not used to having so many prevention measures.
SI – In relation to the different seasons of the year, are there any more crimes?
DP – It depends on the specific type of crime. There may be, for example, not so coastal areas where people rent houses and, when they realize they are on vacation, they can be the target of theft.
In the Algarve, what also happens is the perception that many houses have a potentially added value because people, when they come to these houses, bring values, money and objects that are easily desirable to the criminal world.
SI – What about the other thefts?
DP – In terms of violent and serious crime – which does not have much statistical expression, but has a strong component that influences the feeling of insecurity – most of the cases we have are associated with robberies, usually carried out in areas of nightlife. and at times of little movement of people.
Often, taking advantage of the situation of greater vulnerability of the victims, who are not so prepared to flee or respond to the theft, or even to later be able to give essential information to the police to try to reach the suspect.
SI – In the summer, when the population in the Algarve increases significantly, is there an increase in crimes?
DP – There is an increase that we associate with the increase in population. There are more people, there is more probability. But the reality is that violent and serious crimes don't just happen in the summer, they also happen outside of that season and deserve equal concern on our part.
SI – This summer, in Praia da Rocha, there were violent events that even hastened the installation of video surveillance cameras. Are there any results from this measurement?
DP – What happened in Portimão this year, at a time when the planned reinforcement of the Intervention Corps was not yet active, happened on an unlikely day.
We, until the start of the booster, bet a lot on the strongest nights (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), but it coincided with the time of the festivals and, on a night when it was expected to be less likely to happen, it happened.
It was before the reinforcements and that forced us to readjust our means. It was a filmed action, which had a strong impact on social networks and the media and, to promote a feeling of security, we had to increase our efforts in policing, ending up guaranteeing it with the Intervention Corps already based in the Algarve, all nights throughout the week.
That is, as soon as there was that event, on that same day, the Intervention Corps of Faro ensured the policing in Praia da Rocha.
The events that happened afterwards were always a little outside the normal hours of the large gathering of people and there were no major events recorded on weekends, for example, which is what usually happens.
If it didn't happen anymore, it was because the PSP was there with a strong preventive effect as well.
Video surveillance cameras are still in the implementation phase. Not only in Portimão, but also in other cities in the Algarve, such as Olhão and, in the future, Faro.
SI – What is PSP's opinion regarding the installation of video surveillance cameras?
DP – Our view on CCTV [video surveillance camera] is that it allows us, on the one hand, to monitor situations and public roads with greater risk, where there is more crime on a permanent basis.
This means that we will be able to visualize an image that gives us what is happening on that street and know, at all times, that things are calm or that something could happen.
On the other hand, the fact that people know that there are cameras there has a preventive effect on deviant behavior.
If there is a problem, we have two more advantages identified: the correct assessment, important for sending resources to the scene, and in terms of pursuing the suspects, in order to be able to be effective in the investigation that may arise.
SI – And are there any disadvantages?
DP – The disadvantage is that it can create in people the perception of an invasion of their privacy, but we cannot forget that we are working on public roads, where the images are safeguarded. In other words, the cameras cannot film residential areas.
In addition, only the police have access to these images. A balance must be created between privacy and security, which is promoted by CCTV. PSP understands that we have to promote security within what is balance and, with people knowing that there are cameras on public roads, the issue of privacy is ensured.
SI – With more advantages than disadvantages, why haven't the cameras been implemented longer?
DP – I think it is, in fact, the constant search for a balance between security and privacy.
We are aware of the advantages, but we must follow this path in a balanced way so that people do not feel, in some way, deprived of what their freedom is. In other words, we want to have security with freedom, because what is often said is that security without freedom is useless and freedom without security is impossible.
Thus, the idea is to bet on places where it is most justified, such as in the bar area, and where there is a high possibility of crimes and public disorder. The PSP's position is that CCTV is an essential tool for us to be efficient and effective in our policing action.
Our CCTV system should be used to save lives and, being a system that allows PSP to save lives and help victims, I think it's positive and has many more positives than negatives.
SI – One of the complaints of the population, namely in Faro, is the lack of patrolling. Does it really exist? And in what molds is it made?
DP – Patrolling is carried out and we have, at the moment, implemented a directive on visibility policing, which intends to place policemen, visible, at times and places where there are a greater number of people, at night, and especially during the weekends. of week.
What can sometimes seem is that the police don't go to the x and y zone, but they do. However, the visibility post [in Faro, for example] is done next to the roundabout. Then, as the basis for visibility is there, patrols are formed to go around the streets more dedicated to nightlife.
Visibility is also a matter of strategy because it promotes a feeling of security. People are sometimes unaware of the visibility work we are doing and it is important that they do. It is important to know that the police are by the dock almost every night and that they have an action near the bars.
SI – This year, some police stations in the Algarve underwent renovations. How are the works going?
DP – Portimão is undergoing refurbishment, we hope that it will be finished in the coming months. Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) is more advanced and corresponds to a long-standing desire of the police and citizens. We welcome people when they go to file complaints at our facilities, and if we have decent facilities for citizens, it's more comfortable and increases trust in the PSP.
We believe that the location of the new police station and the rehabilitation of the building correspond to these expectations of the police and the residents of VRSA.
Regarding the Portimão police station, which is further behind in terms of work, we are waiting for it to develop. It is already an old building, it is a refurbishment, which causes some inconvenience, because we have to maintain our activity despite the works. In this sense, there has been a lot of commitment and availability on the part of the police who work to carry out their duties within these limitations, trying to do a good job in the service, which is being done at the tourist office in Praia da Rocha.
It was the solution arranged, also in partnership with the Municipality of Portimão, which has been a strong partner, whether in terms of security decisions or in relation to the remodeling of our building.
SI – In the future, is there any other precinct that also needs this remodeling?
DP – We have already expressed our concern about the Olhão police station. We did this internally and it is an issue for which we would like to seek a solution.
SI – What about future challenges?
DP – We have, in the District Command of Faro, around 800 police are distributed across VRSA, Tavira, Olhão, Faro, Portimão and Lagos and also through the Airport of Faro and by the outstanding force of the Special Police Unit (which monitors the strategic importance, namely in the context of tourism in the Algarve).
As a result, we signed two cooperation protocols with the University of the Algarve and with the Algarve Tourism Region, in order to gain more capacity to understand the problems associated with tourism and to be able to develop a better police service through this academic work.
Other challenges are related to the ongoing restructuring of border control and the assumption of other responsibilities by the PSP, namely at the Airport of Faro. It's a challenge for us. We have already collaborated in operational reinforcement with the SEF, on a basis of very strong and loyal cooperation, and this restructuring also translates into a strong component of challenge for the future.
SI – And are reinforcements planned?
DP – Within the difficulties we have, both in terms of human and material resources, we have now received an effective reinforcement of 60 police officers (43 have already presented themselves and others are in progress).
The decision was to place 60 police officers in the District Command of Faro, a number higher than all those who came from 2016 to this year. This is, therefore, a great bet in the district of Faro, and this is essentially due to the issue of staff reinforcement and the issue of restructuring the SEF.
With this reinforcement, it is intended to fill the gaps of the workforce for retirement, guarantee that the restructuring of the PSP at the level of border control will have human resources to guarantee these needs and, on the other hand, allow greater intervention both on the part of proximity and in the part of the police reaction, where visibility is integrated.
Ultimately, we want to have, 24 hours, seven days a week, the ability to intervene at the level of the rapid intervention team and that will give us a very big advantage compared to the current capacity, which is to be able to increase the levels of visibility and intervention at sites and at times of greatest risk of problems.
SI – In addition to the remodeling of the police stations, which is being carried out, and the reinforcement of the effectives, which has arrived, is there any other need that needs to be filled urgently?
DP – Until recently, we had serious needs in terms of IT resources, but it coincided with the distribution that is being made now, of 75 computers, and this came to respond to the most urgent needs we had. It is an issue that is resolved by itself.
Another need is de-characterized vehicles. It has already been communicated to both the national management and the guardianship and we hope that it will be answered soon.
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