POLICE NUMBERS will be lower in the Algarve this summer compared with last year because they are needed elsewhere.
Speaking in Vilamoura earlier this month, Portuguese Minister of Internal Administration, Rui Pereira, said security reinforcements will be ”much reduced” in the region as forces are being used for other purposes, particularly in Lisbon as a result of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union.
Tourist support
This season, which started on July 1 and runs until September 16, will see a force of 972 GNR officers available, reinforced by 24 militaries from the Operational Battalion, four dog handling teams and two mounted squadrons, increasing to three mounted squadrons in August.
There will also be two tourist support patrol teams, which include one vehicle, two bicycles and four military personnel.
Other police forces such as the Brigada Fiscal, fiscal police and Brigada de Trânsito, traffic police will be increasing their numbers for the summer. Portimão will have a Corpo de Intervenção, a rapid response unit with 12 personnel during August and September and three dog handling teams.
Rui Pereira also unveiled new security measures at Faro airport. It will benefit from increased security, with two new systems, Controlo Electrónico de Fronteiras, electronic border control, and automatic identification of passengers holding travelling documents (RAPID).
These new measures will allow quick and secure identification of passengers with electronic travelling documents.
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