Fact-checking platform Polígrafo ranked Albufeira as municipality with highest crime rate, but local mayor says most cases are minor incidents
Albufeira mayor José Carlos Rolo has strongly criticised the misuse of crime statistics to portray Albufeira as a criminality hotspot in Portugal, following statements made during a parliamentary debate on January 7.
Speaking at a press conference on January 8, held to announce the fourth edition of the Race Nature cycling event, Rolo accused public figures and media outlets of distorting data and called for greater accuracy when interpreting statistics.
“There is clear manipulation of the numbers, and before expressing opinions, we must correctly analyse the real numbers,” said Rolo, who highlighted the need for context when discussing crime rates. Albufeira, a town with a population of roughly 44,000 residents, experiences a seasonal surge in population during the summer months, hosting up to 500,000 people at its peak due to its popularity as a tourist destination.
However, an online article by “Polígrafo,” a fact-checking platform which used data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), has ranked Albufeira as the municipality with the highest crime rate in Portugal, with 9.47 crimes per 100 inhabitants, ahead of Loulé, Porto, Lisbon and Sines. This figure includes property crimes (42.5‰), crimes against physical integrity (9.8‰), and drunk driving offenses (7.6‰).
While he does not dispute the accuracy of the numbers, Rolo contends that they are misleading without proper context. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were said to have more infected individuals than residents – something that was not true. The same logic applies here,” he stated.
He pointed out that minor incidents, such as vandalism of public bins and road signs, are categorised under “crimes against property,” inflating the statistics, and that most of these incidents are related to Albufeira’s “internationally recognised nightlife,” which during the summer months attracts nearly half a million to the town.
Rolo believes that Albufeira, whose economy relies on its tourism sector, may start being affected by these negative stories and said that this subject “cannot become a weapon of political propaganda” for certain political parties, which have erected billboards highlighting Albufeira’s negative criminal statistics.
“Between the literal meaning of the word ‘crime’ and the mental image it evokes”, there is a significant difference, he said, stating that the world criminality suggests “brutality, violence and barbarity on our streets. That does not happen.”
The mayor also called for a more nuanced understanding of the terms “minor offense,” “serious offense,” and “crime,” advocating for their inclusion in statistical reporting to provide clarity and avoid misleading conclusions.
