Portugal Safety and Security report Wednesday 5^th February 2025

Good afternoon. You may have noticed from our Facebook post yesterday, that following meetings with the GNR and PSP, we have appointed two persons to represent our work in the area of Caldas da Rainha, where there is a sizable and growing foreign community. Our representatives Janet and Martin Searle are volunteers who are keen to serve the community in supporting and promoting the work of the GNR and PSP.

Primarily this supporting role includes: fostering further engagement between the foreign community and PSP and GNR, the joint organisation of activities, helping to promote the work of the PSP and GNR including any key messages they wished to communicate to the public, and raising with the GNR and PSP any safety/security issues of local concern. For those living in the Caldas da Rainha area including Obidos, any local issues can be raised with Safe Communities at caldas@safecommunitiesportugal.com

If you are keen to help as a volunteer in a similar capacity in your area, Safe Communities is keen to hear from you. We can be contacted at info@safecommunitiesportugal.com

EUROPOL warned a few days ago of the growing problem of the online trafficking of counterfeit medicines. In 2024 Operation SHIELD V removed more than €11 million in illegal drugs from the market, involving 418 arrests and the dismantling of several criminal networks. They warn that: buying medicines in unauthorized and controlled locations puts your health at risk and funds organized crime. Selling sub-standard, falsely labelled, or falsified pharmaceutical products, as well as products diverted from the legal supply chain, organised crime networks are behind a wide range of illicit medicines and doping substances. EUROPOL’S advice is to be responsible and protect yourself from this type of fraud, and avoid unverified selling platforms especially on social media.

Some good news this week is the is the dismantling  in Spain by the Guardia Civil police of a very violent group that targeted luxury homes in Spain and Portugal. The group is suspects of a two million euros in watches, jewellery and cash armed robbery in Vilamoura, Algarve, in earlier January and also suspected of an attempted robbery at a house in Faro at the end of last year. It is believed that the value of the recovered objects, could exceed 10 million euros and until now 16 crimes committed in Cádiz, Málaga, Seville, Córdoba, Murcia, Alicante and Portugal have been clarified. The operation has led to the arrest of the seven main members of the group, all of Albanian origin, and the recovery of various stolen items. This is a good example of excellent international police cooperation.

With the colder weather especially overnight, a reminder of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal and wood do not burn fully. Gas, oil, coal and wood are sources of fuel used in many household appliances, including: boilers, gas fires, central heating systems, water heaters, cookers and open fires. Incorrectly installed, poorly maintained or poorly ventilated household appliances, such as cookers, heaters and central heating boilers, are the most common causes of accidental exposure to carbon monoxide.

Other possible causes of carbon monoxide poisoning include: blocked flues and chimneys – this can stop carbon monoxide escaping, allowing it to reach dangerous levels or burning fuel in an enclosed or unventilated space – for example, running a car engine, petrol-powered generator inside a garage, or a faulty boiler in an enclosed kitchen.

It is important to be aware of the dangers and identify any appliances in your house that could potentially leak carbon monoxide. Boilers, cookers, heating systems and appliances should be installed and regularly serviced by a reputable, registered engineer. Do not attempt to install or service appliances yourself. Install a carbon monoxide alarm in your home to alert you if there’s a carbon monoxide leak. Make sure it’s approved to the latest European Standard (EN50291). However an alarm is not a substitute for maintaining and regularly servicing household appliances.

Our team at Safe Communities wish you a safe week ahead.

News

Everything that happens anywhere in Europe concerns all Europeans, says Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa

“Our borders are the borders of our European partners and brothers. What concerns them concerns us”, said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, during an official visit to the Czech Republic.

The President of the Republic described the current situation as “very sensitive” this Wednesday, particularly in the area of ​​security, and argued that “everything that happens anywhere in Europe concerns all Europeans”.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was speaking at the Kaiserstein Palace in Prague during a meeting with representatives of the Portuguese community in the Czech Republic, where he arrived this Wednesday and will stay until Thursday, for an official visit, at the invitation of the Czech President, Petr Pavel.

According to the head of state, this visit — like others planned for March to Estonia and Slovenia — “has a special significance” because it takes place at a “very sensitive time for the world and for Europe, and in particular for security on the European continent”.

“Of course, everything that happens anywhere in Europe concerns all Europeans,” he said, noting that this is also the position of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and his predecessor and current President of the European Council, António Costa.

“Our borders are the borders of our European partners and brothers. What concerns them concerns us. It is not the fact that we are further away or closer that takes away the meaning of solidarity at all levels,” he added.

For the President of the Republic, this official visit to the Czech Republic will be an opportunity to analyze the current situation in Europe “bringing together different points of view, from a more regional perspective, in one case, and from a more universal perspective, in the other”.

The Czech Republic, a member of NATO since 1999 and of the European Union since 2004, has as its President Petr Pavel, a retired general, who chaired the NATO Military Committee between 2015 and 2018 and before that, between 2012 and 2015, was Chief of Staff of the Czech Armed Forces.

SNS 24 line answered more than 500 thousand calls in January

The president of the Board of Directors of the Ministry of Health said that the institution “does not identify” with the waiting times experienced on SNS 24 lines during the Christmas and New Year period.

The SNS 24 Line reached a new high in January with more than 500,000 calls answered, the president of the Board of Directors of the Ministry of Health’s Shared Services (SPMS) announced this Tuesday.

The assessment was made by Sandra Cavaca, who was being heard by the parliamentary Health committee at the request of the PS about access to emergency services and the failures that occurred in recent weeks.

According to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the use of the SNS 24 line has been increasing and in January a new high was reached with more than 500 thousand calls answered.

In response to socialist MP Susana Correia, who expressed concern about the impact of the line on improving the provision of health care, Sandra Cavaca recalled that in 2024, 3.5 million calls were answered, with an average waiting time of three minutes.

The “significant growth” compared to 2023 was possible due to the reinforcement of the response capacity which, according to the person in charge, almost doubled, but Sandra Cavaca recognizes that there are “specific situations” that impact waiting times.

At Christmas time , between the 23rd and 27th of December, for example, more than 91 thousand calls were answered , registering an increase of 131% compared to the same period of the previous year, and despite the increase in the number of professionals, the average waiting time was around nine minutes , with 72% of calls being answered within 15 minutes.

Between December 30th and January 3rd, the SNS 24 line answered 96 thousand calls, 112% more than in the same period in 2023, with an average response time of 11 minutes.

“ SPMS does not agree with these results , it is not what satisfies us, but it is to resolve these situations that we work in partnership with our operator to improve these times and reach the satisfaction we had in the past”, he said.