Safe Communities Algarve (SCA) is an operating name of Associação SCP Safe Communities Portugal and is Portugal’s only registered non-profit association providing a “one stop shop” of crime prevention information available to all members of the Algarve community.
The aim of SCA is to promote safer communities, enhance security awareness and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime. It does this through a number of specific objectives covering police/public engagement; communication and awareness; as well as public support in the fight against crime.
SCA promotes community policing by engaging the police and the community, in order to reduce overall crime and the fear of crime. This helps keeps neighbourhoods safe and improves the quality of life for everyone in the region..
SCA works closely with the GNR, PSP, Judicial Police, SEF, ANPC, Turismo do Algarve, the municipalities, British Vice Consul and many other authorities in helping to keep the Algarve a safe place to live and visit. We are particular thankful to the Presidents of the various municipalities who have supported our seminars.
We have protocols with the District PSP, GNR and ANPC as well as with AMAL Intermunicipal Community of Algarve. There are 16 municipalities in the Algarve and there contact details can be found on the AMAL website municipal contact page here. Their monthly newsletter Invest Algarve” can be downloaded here. The AMAL regional strategy supporting Program Regional Operational Algarve 2014-2020 (CRESC Algarve 2020) can be downloaded in Portuguese here.
SCA provides a diverse range of free services to the public which can be found under our How we help you page. These include promoting the GNR Safe Residence Programme, our public safety page and how to report a crime on-line.
With over 70 downloads the Crime Prevention Advice page has the most comprehensive range of crime prevention material available in the region. These range from protecting your home to reducing the risk of cybercrime.
To find out more about policing in your area, police arrests and whom to contact, visit the GNR page if you live in the rural areas or a small town, or visit the PSP police page if you live in the larger towns. Latest News is updated regularly.
To keep up to date with various crime arrests, crime prevention seminars, displays and other exhibitions organized by SCA in conjunction with the GNR, PSP and others, please visit our Latest News/Events page.
In order to receive the latest updates and news about crime prevention please sign up for free newsletter on this page. This is published fortnightly or more frequently if there are matters that need to be circulated urgently. Crime prevention involves us all.
Various businesses in the Algarve have contributed by setting high standards in their approach to crime prevention and their details can be found in the Safe Services Guide page.
Find out more about the history of SCA , our team, our supporters and protocols with various authorities.
If you have any suggestions for crime prevention topics that you feel would be of interest to the community, or need advice or help concerning policing and crime prevention issues please contact us.
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