The Algarve Situation Report 27th November 2024
by Mike Evans
Good day to you all, The “Portugal Semper Seguro” campaign, which we highlighted last week continues across the country and in the past week, with the aim of “promoting the reinforcement of the feeling of security and the reduction of general crime rates in the municipality of Albufeira”, stated the Territorial Command of the GNR of Faro in a statement .
According to the police, three commercial establishments and 45 foreign citizens were inspected, and the operation resulted in the arrest of four people for driving under the influence of alcohol, and one for drug trafficking and the seizure of 224 doses of hashish.
17 traffic offences were also filed, five for drug consumption, five for violations of labour and social security legislation and three for general police purposes, the GNR specified. The operation involved a total of 39 officers from the criminal investigation, borders, intervention and traffic areas.
The “Portugal Semper Seguro” campaign, which has been taking place across the country, aims to “increase citizens’ sense of security”, through joint actions involving security forces and State agencies. The initiative, under the coordination of the Internal Security System (SIS), includes the GNR, PSP, Judicial Police, Authority for Working Conditions, Social Security, Tax Authority, Food and Economic Security Authority and the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum.
As we run up to Christmas the authorities will be extra vigil across the region looking out for drivers who think it is ok to drink and drive.
Now a look at some of the other stories from across the region.
GNR Arrested 59 People Last Week in the Region
The GNR’s Faro Territorial Command arrested 59 people between November 18 and 24, as part of its operational activity, such as preventing and combating violent crime or road inspections, the corporation announced.
Among those arrested, 23 were for driving under the influence of alcohol, 12 for driving without a legal license and one for drug trafficking, the GNR said in a statement.
During the same period, four bales of hashish, weighing a total of 135.4 kilograms, 106 doses of cocaine, three mobile phones, three balaclavas (hoods that cover the face) and a precision scale were seized, the security force quantified.
In terms of traffic, 635 infractions were detected, of which 69 were due to deficiencies in lighting and signage, 62 due to lack of inspection, 34 due to improper use of a mobile phone, 14 due to speeding, 12 due to lack of insurance and eight due to lack of or incorrect use of a seat belt or child restraint system, the GNR also reported, highlighting that one serious injury and 20 minor injuries were recorded during this period.
Warehouse Fire in Boliqueime injures One Person
The fire that broke out on Monday, the 25th, in the early evening in a warehouse in Vale Covo, in the parish of Boliqueime , in the municipality of Loulé, was controlled at 8:45 pm, having caused one minor injury and one displaced person, said a source from Civil Protection.
The alert for the incident in the town of Vale Covo was given at 6:52 pm. The fire reached a warehouse containing hardware and hotel and restaurant equipment, explained a source from the Algarve Sub-regional Command. The fire also spread to a house next to the warehouse, which partially burned down, he added. The owner of the property will stay with relatives, explained the Civil Protection source.
The fire also resulted in a minor injury, a 70-year-old man, who fell and was taken to a hospital.
Elements of the Loulé, Albufeira and Messines Fire Departments, as well as elements of the GNR , were deployed to combat the incident.
Tavira Joins Campaign Against Gender Violence
The municipality of Tavira has joined the “Orange the World” campaign or “16 days of activism against gender-based violence” by Soroptimist International União de Portugal, an NGO based in Tavira.
Between November 25th and December 10th, the Town Hall building will be lit up in orange with the aim of raising awareness among the population about the issue of gender-based violence.
Soroptimist International develops and executes projects in the areas of “education, economic empowerment, health, food security and sustainability”, as well as initiatives against violence against women and girls, responding to goals no. 3 and no. 4 of the United Nations sustainable development . The projects are carried out in collaboration with partner entities (NGOs, local authorities, companies, IPSS), government, policy makers and other institutions that include the “development and management of shelters, where victims of violence are supported with appropriate monitoring and advice”.
Soroptimists work “for women” to: educate for leadership; empower women to achieve equal economic opportunities and financial autonomy; eliminate gender-based violence; promote access to health care and better living conditions; and improve the environment and promote sustainability.
Car found abandoned was Transporting Hashish
The GNR seized 135 kilograms of hashish in a vehicle that was abandoned in Almodôvar, in the district of Beja, which fled after raising suspicions in Castro Marim , the corporation revealed on Saturday, the 23rd.
In the early hours of the morning, an off-duty GNR officer alerted a vehicle that was driving in a “suspicious and irregular” manner on Motorway 22 (A22), in Castro Marim, and a “police device was set up with the aim of intercepting the car”, the GNR explained in a statement.
“The driver, upon realizing that the military had attempted to approach him, fled towards Motorway 2 (A2),” the security force said. The escaped vehicle ended up being “found abandoned by the Guard’s military personnel, in the town of Gomes Aires – Almodôvar”, with “four bales of hashish, totaling 135.4 kilograms, enough for more than 270 thousand individual doses”, the GNR specified.
Faro with 2nd Highest Violent Crimes against Women in 2023
The districts with the most women victims of violent crimes in 2022 and 2023 are Lisbon, with 5,327 cases, Faro with 4,060 victims and Porto with 3,270, according to data from the Victim Support Association ( APAV ).
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is celebrated this Monday, APAV reported that the district of residence of the majority of female victims in Portugal is Lisbon, with 5,327 women registered, that is, 22.4% of the total number of victims recorded in 2022 and 2023.
In second place is the district of Faro with 4,060 (17.1%) and in third is the district of Porto with 3,270 (13.7%). The districts with the fewest female victims are Guarda (65), followed by Bragança (75) and Beja (91). Other districts with APAV records are Braga (2,254), Setúbal (1,710), Coimbra (807), Santarém (744), Vila Real (724) and Aveiro (533). The perpetrator of crimes of violence against these victims is in more than half of the cases (68.5%) male and is between 36 and 55 years old (21.2%).
Almost half of the aggressors (47.3%) have an intimate relationship with the victim, and in some cases they are the victim’s own parents (7.6%) or child. Half of the crimes of violence recorded between 2022 and 2023 against women occurred in their shared residence (50.8%).
In 2022 and 2023, of the total of 23,808 female victims that came to the attention of APAV, 49.8% (11,868) were the target of “continued victimization”.Between 2022 and 2023, and of the total of 11,868 female victims who were the target of continued victimization, in 28.1% (3,339), the victimization had already lasted between two and six years.
Algarve Food Bank Starts another Campaign
The Algarve Food Bank is preparing to carry out another solidarity food collection campaign on November 30th and December 1st.
Those interested in participating as volunteers can register here at this website , https://registo.appia-ipss.pt/ registration is mandatory and must be repeated for each campaign.
Nuno Cabrita Alves, president of the Algarve Food Bank, recalls that “this campaign is essential to support thousands of families”. He also says that “everyone’s help in this cause is important”.
Volunteers are “essential” in any of the 140 stores spread across all the municipalities in the region. Nuno Cabrita Alves explains that “it is necessary to distribute bags and receive food donations”. In the warehouses in Faro and Portimão, “help is important to unload and separate food, fold bags, among other tasks”, he adds. Help can be provided in stores with food or vouchers, but also at www.alimentestaideia.pt with food donations or through financial support .
“All companies in the food chain, including producers, industry and distributors, can deliver their surpluses,” the Association said in a statement.
In May 2024, in the last solidarity campaign of the Algarve Food Bank, 112.35 tons of food were collected, which reached, via institutions, almost 20 thousand people in need in the region.
And to end on a good note we must congratulate all those who helped clean up the beach at Vale do Lobo. The local community and visitors carried out a beach cleaning action last Thursday on Vale do Lobo beaches, resulting in the collection of 143.80 kilos of rubbish, as part of the celebrations of National Sea Day. Infralobo EM and Vale do Lobo, in collaboration with the Vita Nativa Association collaborated to organise the event, highlighting the value of collaboration between public and private entities and the local community, to protect one of the most beautiful natural ecosystems in the Algarve.
The event was attended by 125 students from the Almancil School Group, aged between 14 and 16, who joined forces with residents, visitors and collaborators to clean the beaches of Garrão Nascente and Garrão Poente. Throughout the morning, participants had the opportunity to explore the approximately three kilometre stretch of these beaches, collect waste and learn more about the importance of protecting the environment.
The Vita Nativa Association played an important role in this initiative, providing guidance, sharing educational curiosities and raising awareness of sustainable environmental conservation practices.
Vale do Lobo and Infralobo express “their deep gratitude to all those involved for the dedication and enthusiasm demonstrated during this important initiative, and reaffirm their continued commitment to sustainability, environmental care and active community involvement towards a more sustainable future”.
Until the next time Stay Safe