Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 22nd November 2023
Good morning everyone, Safe Communities has had a very busy week attending the A Terra Treme national Earthquake Awareness Exercise in Olhão; the presentation of the results of Algarve Operation Rural Fire Plan 2023 in Faro, and as well as holding the Safe Christmas and New Year’s Festive Period Seminar, together with Amigos do Museu do Traje São Brás de Alportel
We were very pleased with the outcome of the seminar at São Brás de Alportel, which was timely with the focus on crime prevention and road safety. This coincided with the “World Day in Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims”, being marked on 19th November, in which the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa strongly appealed for operational and awareness work to be reinforced against a problem that caused 238 deaths in the first half of this year.
Marking “World Day in Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims”, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, recognized “the relevant role of awareness-raising and inspection campaigns planned within the scope of the National Inspection Plan”, but called “strongly for operational work and collective awareness to be reinforced, because all lives count”, according to a note published on the presidency’s website.
These remarks by the President of the Republic clearly illustrate the importance of road safety and that everyone, both pedestrians and road users, have a role to play, in reducing the number of deaths and injuries each year”. “Remember this festive period the Best Gift is Being Present. And that depends on the commitment of all of us”.
Safe Communities Portugal was honoured to participate as a guest at the national Earthquake Awareness Exercise “A Terra Treme”, which took place during the morning of 14th November, at the Dr. Francisco Fernandes Lopes Secondary School – Olhão. We have been promoting this initiative for over 10 years. The exercise involves the execution of the 3 self-protection measures, carried out in various safe contexts, which can save lives, in order to alert and raise awareness of the population on how to act before, during and after the occurrence of an earthquake.
Those attending included the Minister of Internal Administration José Luís Carneiro, Secretary of State for Civil Protection Patricia Gaspar and Entities from the Ministry of Education, the President of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, General Duarte da Costa, and senior dignitaries from the most diverse entities that make up the national civil protection system. This includes Safe Communities Portugal which is an official Civil Protection Volunteer Organisation. Apart from the exercise itself which included an “evacuation” of several hundred students there were various displays by the civil protection agents including the GNR, Bombeiros etc.
The third event was the presentation of the results of Algarve Operation Rural Fire Plan 2023 (DECIR Algarve23) held on 15th November in Faro. Rather than repeat all the details of the information presented, I would ask you to read Mike Evans report included in this week’s Algarve Report. Despite being a year with extreme weather conditions in terms of high temperatures, when comparing the rural fires for the year 2023 with the history of the previous 10 years, there were 16% fewer rural fires and 44% less burned area compared to the annual average for the period under analysis – So better news.
With the arrival of the Polar air mass yesterday we are already experiencing some cooler weather and we can expect overnight air temperatures down to close to 0C to 2C particular in valleys in the centre and north of the mainland again tonight. During the cold weather there are certain precautions to take when it comes to protecting from low temperatures. Many domestic accidents are due to the effect of carbon monoxide, toxic gas, odourless and colourless. Most fatal domestic fires are at night time. We repeat the safety messages regularly so would ask everyone to follow these.
Lastly we will have a stand at the Museu do Traje São Brás de Alportel, Christmas Fair on Sunday 26th November from 10.00 to 15.00 hrs, in which you can obtain information on our work. We are pleased to answer questions on crime prevention, civil protection and road safety issues. We look forward to seeing you. A great fair, with home grown produce, bread, cakes, books, craft, spices, music and street food etc.
Our team wishes you a good week ahead.
News
Kamov helicopters offered to Ukraine more than a year ago remain “on national soil”
Lisbon, 21 Nov 2023 (Lusa) – The six Kamov firefighting helicopters offered by Portugal to Ukraine more than a year ago still remain in the country, awaiting Portuguese authorities for instructions from Kiev, the Ministry of Defence told Lusa today.
“The Kamov helicopters transferred to Ukraine at the request of the Kiev authorities are on national soil, awaiting indications from the Ukrainian counterpart on the next steps to be taken”, indicates the Ministry of National Defence, in a response sent to the Lusa agency.
The Ministry supervised by Helena Carreiras also adds that “regular contacts are maintained between the Ministry of National Defence and its Ukrainian interlocutors, with a technical visit by the logistical arm of the donor group to the place where the aircraft are parked last quarter. ”.
The six Kamov heavy firefighting helicopters without a license to operate in Portugal because they are of Russian origin are inoperable and are parked at Ponte de Sor airfield, Portalegre district.
The announcement of the sending of the Kamovs to Ukraine was made by Helena Carreiras in October 2022, a decision criticized, at the time, by Moscow, which considered it to be a “breach of its contractual obligations”.
Russian diplomacy considered that the Portuguese Government’s decision to send six Kamov firefighting helicopters to Ukraine, helping in the fight against the Russian invasion, is a “breach of contractual obligations” on the part of Lisbon, referring to the fact that are aircraft of Russian origin.
In June of this year, the Minister of Defence stated that preparations for sending the Kamovs were being planned.
Of the State’s six heavy helicopters, one has been in an accident since 2012, two others have been undergoing repairs since 2015 and the remaining three Kamov have been out of service since the beginning of 2018.
The Kamovs were acquired in 2006 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, then led by the current Prime Minister, António Costa.
PJ dismantles criminal structure that exploited immigrants in Baixo Alentejo and arrests 28 people
Évora, 21 Nov 2023 (Lusa) – The Judiciary Police (PJ) today dismantled an organized criminal structure that was dedicated to exploiting immigrant workers in Baixo Alentejo, in an operation in which 28 people were arrested.
In a statement published on its website, the PJ indicated that the operation was launched by the National Counter Terrorism Unit of this police, within the scope of two investigations carried out by the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) of Évora.
This police operation, he highlighted, took place in several cities and parishes in Baixo Alentejo and involved around 480 PJ operatives, who carried out 78 home and non-domestic search warrants.
According to the PJ, so far, 28 people have been arrested, outside of the act of committing a crime, who are suspected of being part of “a criminal structure dedicated to exploiting the labor of immigrant citizens” in Baixo Alentejo.
The majority of immigrant citizens were “enticed in their countries of origin, such as Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, India, Senegal, Pakistan, among others, to come and work on agricultural farms in that region of our country”, he noted.
According to the PJ, the suspects, of Portuguese and foreign nationality, are indicted for committing crimes of criminal association, human trafficking, aiding illegal immigration, obtaining illegal labor, extortion, money laundering, fraud tax, offenses against physical integrity, possession of a firearm and forgery of documents.
The Judiciary Police highlighted that, during the so-called “Operation Mirror”, several pieces of evidence were seized and dozens of victims were identified.
This operation had the collaboration of Social Security in referring victims in need of immediate social support and logistical support from the Portuguese Air Force.
The detainees will be present for the first judicial interrogation, on Wednesday, to apply possible coercive measures.