Algarve Situation Report Wednesday May 8th 2024
by Mike Evans
With the holiday season starting to get into full swing, it was inevitable that we would see an increase in crime across the region. The PSP in Faro released a statement in the past week highlighting the fact that made a total of nine arrests, for the crimes of domestic violence, drug trafficking, driving without a legal licence and driving while drunk, in the cities of Faro, Olhão, Vila Real de Santo António, Portimão and Lagos. Whilst obviously these arrests are not entirely down to the tourists, we do see that the influx of tourists does have an effect on the number of people peddling drugs in our region.
Two of these arrests took place near Praia da Rocha, in Portimão, following increased policing on the occasion of the “DnB Allstarts” music festival. With the help and monitoring of the city’s public CCTV system, it was possible to identify 11 citizens suspected of engaging in drug trafficking, of which five were accused and two were arrested, having been caught “red handed”, with one citizen also being accused of the crime. of possession of a prohibited weapon. Around 250 doses of amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana and hashish, four pyrotechnic devices, a knife and 1,355 euros were seized, suspected of originating from drug trafficking.
In the city of Faro , a man was arrested for committing the crime of domestic violence. Following a call to the PSP reporting a crime of domestic violence in progress, police were quickly mobilised and, upon arrival at the scene, they witnessed the suspect attacking the victim, and promptly detained him. Several pieces of evidence were seized, as well as three firearms belonging to the suspect.
We can be sure that the police services will be out in force throughout the summer to make sure that the holiday areas, especially where festivals are taking place, are not overrun by drug dealers.
Now a look at what else has been happening across the region in the past week.
Man dies in accident with agricultural machinery in Castro Marim
A 46-year-old man died this Saturday in an accident with a tracked machine while clearing agricultural land in the Alta Mora area, in Castro Marim.
According to the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, the equipment slipped and ended up on its side.
Humberto Dias, the driver of the machine, was still rescued by firefighters but was declared dead at the scene by the INEM doctor . The alert was given at 10:08 am and death was declared at the scene. 13 operatives were called, including from the National Republican Guard (GNR), INEM and the Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim Fire Department, accompanied by three vehicles and a helicopter.
Teacher attacked by student’s family in VRSA
Last Friday, May 3rd, at around 8am, a preschool teacher at the Santo António school, in Hortas, in Vila Real de Santo António, was violently attacked by a couple of parents, when two Buses full of students were preparing to leave on a study visit, a witness who saw the incident said “ The incident occurred on the side of the school and in front of some students and staff. The “attack was ugly and the teacher had to be transported to the hospital,” the source said.
Another witness described that “the parents were waiting for the teacher and I think you made that rear naked choke move and then got punched in the face. The woman pulled his hair too.” The aggression occurred “following the visit of a couple of parents to the school to ask for clarification regarding an alleged attack on the student that allegedly occurred within the school unit”, highlighted the GNR.
During the confrontation, “family members from both sides” (teacher and student) rushed to the scene and “seven people got involved in a fight, with keys and an iron bar being seized”, he details.
“Complaints were made by both parties, who accused each other of aggression, and the facts were sent to the court [of Vila Real de Santo António] for the relevant investigations to be carried out”, revealed a source from the Public Relations of the Faro Territorial Command of the GNR .
In turn, the director of the D. José I School Group, Eduardo Cunha, told us that “nothing justifies a violent attitude like this, towards a member of the school community or anyone else” and that, after the aggression, the “educator confessed that she did not understand what motivated this behaviour”. He also revealed that “there was a meeting this week, with those in charge of education, where guidelines regarding student behaviour were discussed and that nothing predicted this outcome”.
PSP arrests man for drug trafficking in Faro
A man was arrested for drug trafficking in Faro on the 2nd May, and another man was also identified and charged with robbery with a bladed weapon in Portimão, according to the Faro PSP District Command.
The arrest took place in the city of Faro , following recurrent patrolling actions carried out in the city’s downtown, using various police means and skills, with the aim of guaranteeing a feeling of security for all citizens who travel there.
During the patrol, the prevention and immediate reaction team detected a man who, in the presence of the police, “tried to escape, and was promptly stopped”, highlights the PSP of Faro. It was possible to determine that the suspect had, in his possession, around 50 individual doses of narcotic ready for sale to the consumer, for which he was detained. In the city of Portimão, early in the afternoon the day before yesterday, the PSP received news of a robbery carried out in a commercial establishment, using a bladed weapon.
In possession of this information, the Criminal Investigation Squadron of the PSP of Portimão immediately began investigative measures with a view to identifying the suspect and collecting evidence, having, yesterday, located the suspect. It was possible to seize the bladed weapon, as well as other assets that made it possible to indict the suspect for committing the robbery, and he was named a defendant, interrogated and subject to an Identity and Residence Term.
Dogs and ‘drones’ search for missing elderly man in Monchique
The authorities are looking for an elderly man who disappeared on Tuesday, the 30th, in Monchique, searches that are being carried out with the help of dogs and ‘drones’, revealed a GNR source .
According to the same source, the first alert about the disappearance of the 72-year-old man was given at around 4 pm on Tuesday, with health centres and other organisations that may have recovered the missing man being contacted.
As the hours passed, the searches were expanded and the resources on site were reinforced, he added. At the moment, the GNR has three kinesthetic teams (with dogs) and one with ‘drones’ searching the area, according to this military force.
The National Civil Protection Authority, which has been supporting the operation, presented at 1pm on its website the presence of 43 operatives and 13 vehicles on the ground.
Government ease restrictions on Algarve Water
It was announced that cuts in water consumption in the Algarve, in force since January, will now be eased in the urban sector and in agriculture.
Algarve has been on alert due to drought since February 5th, with the Government having approved a set of measures to restrict water consumption, but the Minister of the Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, revealed that these cuts will now be eased.
“We have several scenarios on the table, all of which I think are relieving in relation to the current situation, therefore, it will always be good news”, said Maria da Graça Carvalho.
The minister was speaking to journalists in Faro, after a meeting of the Regional Subcommittee for the South Zone of the Albufeiras Management Commission, in which the current situation of water resources in the Algarve was assessed.
Maria da Graça Carvalho stressed that the Government is “aware that the lack of water in the Algarve is a problem that is here to stay”, but that the greater rainfall recorded in the region in 2024, compared to last year, paves the way for alleviating the restrictions.
“Fortunately, this year the rainfall was greater than last year and, therefore, we have room to ease the restrictions a little that have been in force until now”, she said.
The Minister of Environment and Energy was asked about the demand from the Commission for Hydro Agricultural Sustainability of the Algarve (CSHA), which represents more than 1,000 producers and on Monday warned that it “will only accept equal cuts” for all sectors in the region, which currently they are 15% for the urban sector and tourism and 25% for agriculture.
“We will take into account this request, this demand from farmers. It will certainly weigh on our decision”, replied Maria da Graça Carvalho, adding, without specifying specific values, that all sectors will be able to receive relief.
The Government’s decision will be taken based on scientific data and scenarios provided by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) and on the opinions expressed at the technical meeting held yesterday, and will then be announced at the next meeting of the Permanent Commission for Prevention, Monitoring and Monitoring of the Effects of Drought (CPPMAES), chaired by the Minister of Environment and Energy and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, José Manuel Fernandes, and to be held until May 10th, in Faro.
The minister also highlighted that “a series of investments are underway at a good pace” and that the Government will “do everything to accelerate them”, including, among others, the construction of a desalination station and the capture of water from the Guadiana river in Pomarão, using funds of around 240 million euros from the Recovery and Resilience Program (PRR).
Also after the meeting, the president of the Association of Beneficiaries of the Sotavento do Algarve Irrigation Plan, Macário Correia, told journalists that a proposal had been presented that “needs to be revised and better worked on” between APA and the different sectors.
“I am convinced that the Government will be able to approach and reach agreement with what we have as concerns”, he stated.
So whilst we are not out of the woods yet it does look like we will still be able to have a water supply for the summer. Until the next time Stay Safe.