Portugal is safe, but … – Aveiro news
The latest data from the annual internal safety report (RASI): The crime of violence and the severity of growth in Portugal continues. Increased thefts, and the residence, commercial institutions, violations, and last year’s increase. In fact, the number of violations reached the highest value in the past decade.
Written by Dugo Fernandez Sosa *
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If we only look at general crime statistics, we may think that Portugal is safer, as there was a 5 % reduction in the total number of criminal appearances. However, this reading is deceptive. The decrease in general crime may be clear, resulting from a decrease in police procedures on the ground, and not a real improvement in the country’s security.
In the first months of 2024, the security forces faced a period of motivation and protests, claiming better and wage working conditions. During this time, the police were less active in preventing crime. If the security forces are working at full capacity throughout the year, then the general crime numbers are likely to be higher, and the idea that Portugal has become a safest country.
But the most anxious is the perception of insecurity, which is still growing among citizens. Every day news comes from serious crimes, nourishing a feeling of weakness. This fear not only depends on social communication: the real increase in crimes of violent crime, theft and theft increases to that Portuguese. When robberies become common and streets appear less safe, citizens lose confidence in the judicial system.
What we can do to reflect this data is to strengthen the proximity police, and to ensure a more clear and continuous presence of the security forces in the streets, public transport and the most vulnerable areas. In addition, a greater investment in the media is required, both in terms of human resources and equipment, so that they can act more effectively and safely.
Another procedure is to harden penalties for certain crimes and for those who have been repeatedly convicted of crimes, in order to ensure that there is no impunity. The feeling of impunity is one of the factors that most of which contributes to increasing crime and only the rapid justice exacerbation of the situation only.
Finally, it is necessary to bear public safety as a national priority. Crime control cannot be just a statistical issue that is analyzed once a year. It must be a continuous policy because if nothing is done, the crime will continue to grow and the perception of insecurity will increase.
* The writer of the book “The Trends of the Nation: Reflections on Portuguese”. Professor at the Jean Piaget Institute for Applied Arts.
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