Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 8^th May 2024

Good morning. The dismissal chief superintendent José Barros Correia as National Director of the PSP is being received with great surprise and concern by police unions. Appointed less than a year ago, Barros Correia’s dismissal took the various PSP union structures by surprise. Seen as “close to the police”, “fair” and “truly concerned” about his men, having even supported the fight for the mission supplement, the chief superintendent has already explained, in an internal letter, that his departure is due to the “exclusive initiative” by the Minister of Internal Administration, Margarida Blasco.

José Barros Correia will be replaced by Superintendent Luís Carrilho, commander of the Special Police Unit since October 2023. The Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) states that “this appointment decision comes within the scope of the operational restructuring of the PSP, whether in terms of nationally, as well as in terms of institutional and international representation of this public security force”.

José Barros Correia, appointed by the previous socialist Government in September 2023 to the position of National Director of the Public Security Police, made the position available after the change of Government and ended up being dismissed this Monday. Minister Margarida Blasco’s decision surprised everyone including the PSP unions the feeling being one of incomprehension. Interesting although there appears to be no questions concerning Luís Carrilho’s suitability, it is interesting to note that he is a superintendent in rank, junior to several chief superintendents serving in the PSP. We look forward to and further explanation of the national director only in the post 8 months.

The decision to defer the deadline for land cleaning has been generally welcomed. The decision is related to the rainfall recorded in recent months and the high water content in the soil, which affected many of the fuel management operations and encouraged the rapid growth of vegetation in the areas already cleaned.

Also according to the Government, weather forecasts indicate that, in May, appropriate conditions will be maintained for the safe carrying out of fuel management activities and that, therefore, this additional period will allow operations to be carried out in all necessary locations.

Vegetation management within the scope of the secondary network of fuel management bands constitutes one of the pillars of the integrated rural fire management policy, especially in the area of ​​protection against rural fires – ensuring greater effectiveness in defending people, animals and property against the spread of fires –, as well as in terms of rural fire management”, allowing the mitigation of the annual number of occurrences.

Care will however need to be taken concerning the burning of cut and piled waste, as the fire risk is becoming higher and conditions may therefore not be suitable for such burns. We advise those who are undertaking land cleaning involving the burning of waste to do this sooner rather than later, having obtained the necessary authorisation/registration and following safety advice. More on this subject can be found here. https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/find-information/fire-prevention-and-protection/land-cleaning-protection/

Our team wish you a good and safe week ahead. 

News

Inspectorate received 1,436 complaints against police actions and PSP is most targeted

Lisbon, May 7, 2024 (Lusa) – The General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI) received 1,436 complaints against the actions of security forces last year, the same number as in 2022, with the PSP being the police most targeted.

Data from the body that oversees police activity, to which the Lusa agency had access, show that between 2017 and 2022 the number of complaints increased, having doubled in six years from 772 to 1,436, however last year the complaints were the same as those in 2022.

According to IGAI, the PSP is the security force with the highest number of complaints, having received 616 reports against the actions of Public Security Police agents in 2023, followed by the Republican National Guard, with 412, and the former Foreigners and Borders Service, with 163.

Most of the complaints that reached the IGAI in 2023 were complaints filed by citizens, totalling 753, with 263 reports from judicial entities, 192 from the General Directorate of Reinsertion and Prison Services and 11 from private and public entities.

According to IGAI, almost half (43%) of the complaints against the performance of security forces were related to the violation of duties of conduct (incorrect procedures or behaviour), with a total of 608 complaints filed, of which 276 were directed to elements from the PSP, 175 to GNR military personnel and 140 to inspectors from the former SEF, which was abolished on October 29, 2023.

Offenses to physical integrity (assault) were the second most common type of complaint filed in 2023, corresponding to 24.3% of the total number of reports against the actions of the police (349), followed by matters of an internal or professional nature, 72 complaints.

IGAI also received 23 complaints last year related to discriminatory practices, eight of which against PSP agents, nine more than in 2022.

The body led by judge Anabela Cabral Ferreira highlights that there was no record last year of “illegal arrests” and only one situation of “death” at the hands of the police.

The IGAI, supervised by the Ministry of Internal Administration, also indicates that in 2023, 1,436 administrative processes were initiated (total complaints), which, together with those carried over from the previous year, 1,855 processes were processed and 1,547 were concluded and four were converted into processes of a disciplinary.

IGAI’s mission is to carry out audits, inspections and supervision of all entities, services and bodies supervised by MAI.

AIMA target of complaints (also) from immigrants

The body that replaced the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) continues to be the target of many complaints from immigrants. The Agency for Migration and Asylum Integration is unable

Complaints from immigrants continue about the work of the Agency for Migration and Asylum Integration (AIMA). The queues at citizen stores bring together dozens of people even before the doors open.

Maansoor is an immigrant who has been queuing at the Saldanha store in Lisbon since midnight to try to renew his driving license, which is mandatory for his job as a driver, but has not yet received any answers.

“They always say to wait, wait and now I have no work because I don’t have a card. I came here at midnight” and “no one says anything, no one helps, it’s very complicated.”

Immigrants waiting in line explain that they are unable to resolve anything online due to a lack of documents, such as their Citizen Card.

“I can’t renew online because the system doesn’t allow access with the residence permit, passport or other documentation, in the case of immigrants”, says Miguel.

Despite immigrants trying their luck, they have not been successful so far.

“AIMA tells us to make the appointment via IRN , IRN sends us to AIMA and no one knows what it does (…) I have a document expiring on the eighth day and I can’t renew it”, says Renato Santos, another immigrant.

The Agency for Migration and Asylum Integration emerged after the extinction of the SEF, in October last year.

Immigrants have protested the delays in issuing residence cards or validating driving licenses, documents that, if missing, can lead to dismissal.

“There are many people waiting, we understand that, but as the number of people increases, the number of people to be served should also increase because we have been contributing to the country since we arrived here”, says an immigrant.

The Government has not yet specified what it will do with AIMA, but in the past, the PSD voted against the creation of the agency and SIC knows that a possible replacement is on the table.

Firefighters present a package of demands to the Government for the sector

Lisbon, May 6, 2024 (Lusa) – The League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP) today presented to the Government a list of demands, which includes support for training, creation of its own statute, qualification of the volunteer firefighter’s career or fiscal support for companies that help corporations.

Speaking to Lusa after a meeting at the Ministry of Internal Administration, the president of the LBP expressed satisfaction with the MIA’son, and a series of technical meetings are now planned to discuss the demands list point by point.

“The meeting at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the minister and the secretaries of State, was the opportunity that the firefighters had to present a set of concerns that have to do with the financial insufficiency of our humanitarian associations, with the issue of career for our firefighters, with employment contracts, with the issue of the social status of the firefighter and the association leader and also the lack of a national fire command”, explained the LBP leader.

As for the device to combat rural fires, this topic will be discussed with the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, stated António Nunes.

“Some of the proposals we have budgetary implications and will naturally be subject to greater scrutiny when holding preparatory meetings for the State budget for next year”, explained the director.

Only in this context “will we be able to see funds allocated” or even “changes with regard to the IRS, IRC or TSU that have to do with support for companies and firefighters”

These issues “cannot be resolved immediately”, admitted António Nunes, stating that “the League has always been at the forefront of defending firefighters because it is not just an employer organization” and “represents associations and fire departments”.

The person in charge maintained that, in volunteer fire departments, the first person responsible for the firefighters is the commander.

“We can only have active fire departments with the operational capacity to be involved in the defence of their populations” if “they have the necessary and sufficient means for their mission”, which also includes the financing of salaries, with “a status dignity and a career,” he said.

The global strategic motion of the current LBP management is the “defence of a salary scale for a remunerative career for firefighters”, recalled António Nunes, highlighting that this is a promise from the Government that dates back to 2007.