Dear Editor,
I wish to respond to your correspondent (name and address withheld) who stated in his/her letter (November 16 edition) that “Portugal is becoming a police state and that under the hands of a desperate Government, paradise becomes hell”. The writer goes on to ask “if there is any chance of police tackling crime”. Strong opinions indeed, and grossly unfair to the police who do much to help keep the Algarve a safe place to live and visit.
Unfortunately the Telegraph report on August 23 (which was quoted in the letter) was based on earlier inaccurate Portuguese media reports which stated that the GNR have been told to increase their annual revenue from fines to support the country’s ailing economy.
I have been given a reassurance at a very senior level in the GNR that this is NOT TRUE and also that NO pressure is placed on police commanders at any level to increase revenue through fines.
Like any police force, traffic enforcement is mainly targeted at the type of driving that poses a risk to public safety, such as driving at excessive speed, using a mobile phone, drink driving, not wearing a seat belt. They also conduct operations aimed at preventing and detecting crime involving the stopping and searching of vehicles. Although foreign-registered vehicles are not specifically targeted, it is a fact that a number are being driven illegally here without proper registration and hence invalidated insurance, and lack of an annual vehicle inspection – potentially a public safety issue.
If police enforcement results in the confiscation of an offending vehicle then so be it. Also there is no truth that tourists are being targeted as your correspondent claims.
The FCO do not “warn” about police carrying portable ATM machines; this is simple informative “travel advice” – in fact this is a far more efficient and effective means of enforcement than in many countries where difficulties in collecting fines results in greater cost to the tax payer.
Although I appreciate the inconvenience to innocent parties, the stopping of vehicles by police and checking paperwork has resulted in the detection of a number of serious crimes, the apprehension of large quantities of drugs being trafficked across the region as well as the neutralisation of gangs involved in criminal activity. A good example was the recent arrest of a Lisbon-based gang on the A22 involved in the theft of high value bicycles in the Algarve.
Readers may be interested to learn that an increasing amount of traffic enforcement in Europe is now coordinated internationally through TISPOL the European Traffic Police Network. This was established by Traffic Police Forces across Europe in order to improve road safety and law enforcement on the roads of Europe. Some 27 countries are represented including Portugal, the UK and the Netherlands.
One example of their work was a week-long “European Seatbelt operation” conducted by 25 countries in October. Nearly 100,000 seatbelt offences were detected, plus some 4,000 offences connected to drugs, illegal immigration, stolen goods, firearms and other offences.
There will be a Europe-wide operation concerning driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol from December 10 to 16. So whether you are driving in Portugal, UK or anywhere else in Europe, you have been warned.
Overall crime in the Algarve has decreased throughout 2012, the fourth year in succession, largely attributable to the pro-active work of the police with some excellent investigations and arrests.
The number of deaths and injuries due to road accidents has also significantly decreased over the last five years due to education and police enforcement. I hope this puts matters in a more reasoned and informed perspective. I for one know where I prefer to live!
David Thomas
Safe Communities Algarve
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