Residents reportedly worried about negative image for tourism
Crime is “plaguing” the coastal west Algarve town of Lagos, a tourist destination that has changed almost beyond recognition in the last two decades.
Local reports say the situation this year “despite all the efforts of the various security forces to protect people and property” is worrying residents “as in addition to insecurity, it creates a negative image for a tourist destination of excellence”.
Even before the summer, the town had to deal with “two homicides involving Lagos residents”, and now, “on July 25, in the dead of night, vandalism was carried out on various locations, notably the Town Hall, the São Gonçalo Parish Council, Renault Auto Vasco da Gama, and other commercial establishments”.
Lagos is still a town without CCTV cameras, which it reportedly is waiting for.
As Correio de Lagos recalls, there was a “practice of breaking the windows of businesses” some years ago – but those incidents involved burglaries that were “duly resolved”. This latest vandalism seems purely for the purposes of destruction, and suggests “strategic targets”, says the paper.
The Town Hall, known as the Paços do Conselho Século XXI building, actually has a 24-hour security team.
“Let us hope ‘the authorities will ride this wave’ and that offenders will be duly punished”, concludes the paper.
On Facebook, Paulo Rosário, the CHEGA candidate for Lagos in the upcoming municipal elections (in October), gives the full list of entities targeted. Beyond the Town Hall, parish council and Renault, there was a barber’s shop, two pizzarias, an office and a residential building.
“It’s not just Albufeira that needs changing… When are we getting the CCTV cameras proposed by CHEGA in 2023??” Rosário writes. “Delinquency cannot be normalised!”
Commentaries beneath the post suggest photos were taken of the vandal/s as they went on their rampage. Thus it is possible that an update on this story comes soon.
source material: Correio de Lagos/ Facebook
