“There has indeed been an increase in violent crime, but not as much as the media is reporting, which is creating a feeling of insecurity among people that does not always coincide with what is actually happening,” said the interior minister, Maria Lúcia Amaral, when questioned today about the five cases that occurred in the Lisbon region.
Last week, the police recorded five cases of people being shot: A man was admitted to Amadora-Sintra Hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning with gunshot wounds to the knee, after another young man was also left at the door of the same hospital on Sunday with abdominal injuries.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, in Cova da Moura (Amadora), another man was shot in the stomach, and on Tuesday, the authorities recorded two other cases.
“The wave of violent crimes that marked last week must be understood in our context, which is one of rigorous reporting on the actual increase in crime and violence,” added Maria Lúcia Amaral at the end of the inauguration of a new Public Security Police (PSP) police station in Odivelas.
Present at the ceremony, the National Director of the PSP, Luis Carrilho, applauded the investment of almost €600,000 in the renovation of the Pontinha police station, where “more than 35,000 citizens” live.
Luís Carrilho stressed that the work of the Pontinha officers has led to a decrease in general, violent and serious crime and an increase in arrests this year compared to last year.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, in Cova da Moura (Amadora), another man was shot in the stomach, and on Tuesday, the authorities recorded two other cases. (Gonçalo Villaverde / Global Imagens)
As for the news in the Público newspaper today revealing that the PSP has made “one of the largest drug seizures ever without the knowledge of the Judicial Police” (PJ, the country’s main criminal investigation agency), Luís Carrilho referred explanations to a press conference to be held on Tuesday, praising the work of the officers who seized around six tonnes of narcotics, mainly hashish, in a warehouse in Seixal, on the south bank of the Tagus River, where there were also two speedboats.
Público reports that the operation “was carried out without the knowledge of the Judicial Police (PJ), which, by law, must be notified of any action taken by one of the other criminal police agencies”.
Also questioned this morning on the subject, the minister said she was unaware of what had happened: “I haven’t read the Público newspaper report yet. I don’t know what happened, so I can’t comment.”
As for the criticism from the PSP unions, which have been demanding pay rises and criticising the Government for not including a rise in the 2026 draft state budget to make the profession more attractive, the minister assured that she is working on this.
“As in many other institutions and areas of the State, there has been some difficulty in attracting new generations to join these institutions, which involve lifelong commitments,” said Maria Lúcia Amaral, considering this difficulty “very natural”.
“Today, youth culture is different because the world is also different and young people have many more alternatives and choices. What we are doing at the PSP is figuring out how to dignify the role and status of police officers so that it can also be attractive to new generations,” added the minister.
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