Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 29^th January 2025

Good morning everyone. We start with the results of a study in the journal Nature Medicine that an increase in global average temperature of between 3 and 4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century would lead to the death of 2.3 million people in Europe due to heat.

The study published on Monday, which modelled the impact of rising global average temperatures on 854 urban areas in 30 European countries, reveals that some of the most affected cities would be Spanish cities such as Barcelona, ​​Madrid and Valencia.

The researchers considered three temperature scenarios: one in which the Paris Agreement to combat climate change is met and global temperatures do not rise more than 2 degrees by the end of the century; another in which they rise between 2 and 3 degrees; and a third, of between 3 and 4 degrees of increase by the end of the century, which is where we are heading according to the current emissions trajectory.

The good news is that researchers found that in the most optimistic scenario, in which emissions are reduced and the Paris Agreement is implemented, limiting the increase in global average temperature to 2 degrees by the end of the century, 70% of deaths from high temperatures could be avoided. These findings however, do not take into account the President of the US Donald Trump’s intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and the impact this may have in climate change adaptation.

World leaders and dozens of Holocaust survivors gathered Monday at the former site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet troops at the end of World War II. The ceremony is regarded as the likely last major observance of Auschwitz’s liberation that any notable number of survivors will be able to attend, due to their advanced ages.

Dozens of world leaders and dignitaries attended the ceremony, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Britain’s King Charles III and French President Emmanuel Macron, but all were asked by organizers not to speak at the ceremony. Instead survivors of the holocaust spoke instead some decrying the rise of the far right and increased antisemitism in Germany and beyond.

Remembering the Holocaust and learning from history, are critically important in the current context, characterised by antisemitism and Holocaust denial, and distortion and trivialisation of history, caused or amplified by digital technology, social media, and foreign interference and propaganda.

As is normal this time of the year, rough seas along our coastlines become more intense and frequent. Today Wednesday from 1800 hrs to 1200 tomorrow all coastal districts will raise the red level warning, the highest on a scale of four levels. Waves of 7 8 metres are expected with a maximum of 15 metres possible.

The authority’s advice, in these conditions, is to take special care in traffic along coastal roads and river areas historically more vulnerable to coastal flooding avoiding, if possible, movement and staying in these places; not to practice activities related to the sea, namely sport fishing, nautical sports and seaside walks; avoiding parking vehicles very close to the seashore and to pay attention to weather information and directions of Civil Protection and Security Forces.

Our team wish you a happy and safe week ahead.

News

Mayor of Lisbon wants more police in Lisbon to counter violence

Mayor Carlos Moedas insists that the capital needs “more PSP” and that the Municipal Police “can make arrests”, because, he argued, crimes may have decreased but “they have a different level of violence”.

The Mayor of Lisbon was not indifferent to the headline in the Diário de Notícias newspaper this Tuesday, which reported that crime in Lisbon has seen its second-largest drop in 10 years. A conclusion that does not reassure Mayor Carlos Moedas.

The crimes that are currently being committed in Lisbon have a different level of violence,” he said in a statement to journalists this afternoon, in which he gave specific examples: “Four rapes in one week,” a “triple homicide,” “armed robberies for a watch, it’s not normal.”

According to the newspaper, which cites provisional data from the Public Security Police (PSP), last year around 28 thousand crimes were reported, the third lowest number in the last 10 years and only surpassed by the years of the pandemic – 2020 and 2021. According to PSP figures, in the space of a year, registered crimes fell by more than 12% and crimes classified as violent and serious also fell by 10%.

However, these figures leave the mayor of Lisbon “concerned”: “It is good to know that the average has dropped, but when we look at the news and see, for example, the case of the parish of Santa Maria Maior in 2023, which presents the highest value of the decade. In other words, if they have dropped between 2023/2024, we cannot rest easy”.

“We have to see what is happening in the city. Last week there were four alleged rapes, this year we had a triple homicide at close range near Santa Apolónia. The crimes and the way they are committed, often in Lisbon with armed robberies to steal a watch, do you know how many are reported to me?”

“Lisbon is a safe city, but this news doesn’t mean we don’t have to say we need more police.

Cyberattacks: number of cases increased by 42% in 2023, most of the complaints are from private entities

This Tuesday marks International Data Protection Day. The University of Porto warns that there are increasing cyber threats to companies and reinforces the need to invest in security and protect information.

The company Águas do Porto suffered its first cyberattack in 2023. The danger alert was identified by the team at this operations management centre.

The next step was to use platforms like this one that identify daily threats and, after a house has been robbed, lock the door. This year, the municipal company entered into a partnership with the Cybersecurity and Privacy Centre of the University of Porto.

At the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rolando Martins leads a team that works on identifying security weaknesses and gives consultancy sessions.

Systems are often used to deliberately attack customers in order to later see if they are well protected. The number of cyberattacks has increased and is expected to continue to grow.

In 2023 there was an increase in data breaches, a growth of 42% compared to 2022, the majority of complaints came from private entities.