PortugalĀ“s only registered non-profit crime prevention association providing dedicated information and support services to the community
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29 August 2019

Welcome

A warm welcome and special greetings to all those who have subscribed recently.

Since the last newsletter we have had the hazardous good vehicles drivers strike which caused some disruption but not to the extent that similar action caused in April this year.

As far as the Algarve is concerned Safe Communities Portugal attended a Government District Civil Protection Commission meeting held in Faro two days before the planned strike. We highlighted the dangers of the carrying of fuel in unsafe containers and the storage of fuel which is illegal in residences. This was included in the subsequent press release.

This newsletter however is dominated by some really excellent police arrests. One in particular which is our headline story, is the arrest of two Chinese citizens who kidnapped 17 young Taiwanese and held them in Cascais where they operated an clandestine call centre cheating other Chinese people. 

This is a terrible but fascinating story and apart from the summarised report itself, I would recommend that you read the full story through the link provided. This in my view (putting my former INTERPOL hat on) illustrates the very best in international police cooperation, this time between the Portuguese and Taiwanese authorities. Textbook international cooperation!

For sometime we have been working with government on a number of rural fire prevention and self protection projects and I am pleased to say these are now coming gradually to fruition. The latest is a series of safe camping, trekking and festival leaflets available on line. We also made a proposal for fire awareness in English on the electronic roadside signs and this is agreed and is being implemented. One of these is "If you see a fire call 112 immediately". look out for this. More to come.

We also have eight items of prevention advice in this newsletter covering civil protection; crime, cyber crime and road safety to help everyone. 

We thank all our sponsors for your help in enabling us to continue with the work that we do. Thank you: Currencies Direct, Mestre Raposa, TUI, Avalon Funeral Plans, and the Irish Embassy Lisbon  for your support.

To learn more about how to sponsor a newsletter by becoming one of our supporters please contact us on 913045093 or at    info@safecommunitiesportugal.com



David Thomas
President
Safe Communities Portugal
Headlines

Cascais - Two Chinese nationals detained on suspicion of people trafficking, kidnapping and coercion 

Lisbon, 27 Aug 2019 (Lusa) - A man has been arrested and another accused, both Chinese, on suspicion of trafficking, kidnapping and coercion in an operation that took place in June in the Cascais area, the Judiciary Police said today.

According to PJ, the arrests took place following a request by the National Police of Taiwan to cooperate in a case where several Taiwanese citizens were victims of trafficking being held in Portugal under duress and under slavery". The 17 young Taiwanese had been kidnapped in order to set up a  clandestine  call center  in a luxury villa where they were forced to cheat people in China
When police they entered that house, situated on a street of luxury villas in Cascais, PJ inspectors could barely see who they were and what exactly those figures were sitting in front of computers with headphones on their ears and speaking to small microphones.

The National Counter Terrorism Unit (UNCT) located a detached house in the Cascais area where it found and rescued the 17 citizens being deprived of their freedom, documents and unable to maintain contact with the outside.

"At the time of the police action, the two defendants were also found there. It was found on the spot that citizens were coerced into contacts via the Internet, in a scam scheme set up by the detained defendant, with citizens from mainland China, who were extorting high sums of money under threat of police and judicial persecution in that country ", explains the PJ

The 17 young people had been enticed in Taiwan, with the promise of easy, well-paid work in Europe - never telling them what their particular destination was.

"At first they thought they were going to France, but then they came to Portugal. They landed in Lisbon in March and were put in a van directly to the Cascais house, where they never left until we were released in our operation in late May. "reveals the head of the UNCT.

As soon as the young men arrived at the Cascais house, the man who brought them from Taiwan (and who was detained by the PJ) took their passports and personal mobile phones and were then told what they had to do: their mission was to deceive other Chinese. Under the threat that if they refused, there would be retaliation against their families and friends.

During the operation, several dozen telephone and telecommunications equipment, computer equipment, documents and money were seized.

"Given the continuing investigations by the Taiwanese authorities into the prosecution of the principal perpetrators of this illegal activity, the judicial police action has not until now been publicly disclosed," it said.

However, Taiwanese police announced on Friday 23rd August that they in cooperation with Portuguese police had dismantled in Cascais, Portugal, a network that allegedly defrauded victims in mainland China over the telephone. 


Person suspected of fraud and illegal immigration aid detained in France

Following a European arrest warrant, requested by the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) from the Public Prosecution Service, the leading suspect involved in seven qualified fraudulent crimes was arrested in France on 22 August. 

He was wanted for crimes of illegally assisting illegal immigration and five other crimes all committed between 2017 and 2018.

The detainee, a foreign citizen, approached illegal Brazilian citizens in the United Kingdom, promising legalisation and / or Portuguese nationality for payment of thousands of pounds sterling and euros.

Pretending to be a lawyer, he promised privileged contacts with the SEF claiming he was a lawyer specialising in "immigration law".  Thus, he entered into alleged contracts for the provision of legal services issuing various documents which he claimed had legal validity.

After concluding these false legal mediation contracts, for which he charged thousands of pounds, he promoted their coming to Portugal without having any legal framework and without taking any steps to legalise it.

In Portugal, and since the victims were already in a situation of financial weakness, he had the collaboration of an accused accountant, who at his command carried out some formal acts with the finances and social security.

In Lisbon, the detainee sporadically joined the victims, who claimed that these were the last steps to conclude the promised legalisation and charging them few hundred more euros.


Breaking news

Armed robbery at house at Quinta do Lago where a British rapper was residing 

A violent robbery took place at Quinta do Lago on Tuesday night (27th August), where 27-year-old rapper Mist was on holiday in the Algarve with two friends, TVI says.

The Briton was shot in the leg and had to receive hospital treatment and was transported by his friends to the hospital. 

The armed group stole the jewellery the artist was wearing, as well as mobile phones and passports.  Rhys Thomas Sylvester also known as "Mist" was taken to hospital by two friends. 

The same source says that the rapper has already been discharged. The armed group that carried out the robbery escaped. According to a TVI report the robbers had an Irish accent.

Judicial Police are undertaking an investigation.

GNR rescues 41 migrants in Aegean Sea  

On 28th August at 0700 hrs the GNR Coastal Control Unit (UCC), personnel deployed on the island of Samos, Greece, as part of the mission of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), rescued 41 migrants in the Aegean Sea.

During a patrolling action, the GNR military detected a rubber boat carrying migrants south of Samos Island, about two nautical miles away from Pythagorio Port. They immediately went to the scene, intercepting an 8-meter long boat, which had 41 migrants on board, including 5 children, one of them a baby, 9 women and 27 men.

When approaching the vessel, the military found that one of the migrants was in the water, and was rescued. The military then rescued the remaining migrants, transhipped to the GNR vessel, distributed thermal blankets as some of the migrants were at risk of hypothermia, and provided water as some showed signs of dehydration.

After the rescue, the migrants were safely transported to Pythagorio Port and handed over to the Greek authorities.

In this year alone 2019, and so far, the GNR has carried out more than 600 patrols, corresponding to over 4,000 hours of engagement, detecting 200 vessels and assisting some 1,700 migrants.

In order to prevent, detect and prosecute illicit acts related to illegal immigration, trafficking in human beings and other cross-border crimes, GNR contributes, along with the Maritime Police, to Portugal's commitment to safeguarding human lives in the Aegean Sea.

The video of the rescue is here.

Top Stories

Nine detainees in PSP operation to combat drugs in four districts of Porto

Nine people were arrested this Tuesday morning during a major PSP operation to combat drug trafficking, with more than 150 agents in four districts of Porto.

"A very substantial amount of narcotics has been seized, namely heroin, cocaine, lymba and hashish," Intendant Rui Mendes told a news conference at PSP headquarters this Tuesday morning. At that time the amount of narcotics seized was still be analysed.

During the operation, involving 26 home searches, PSP also seized 10,000 euros in cash, one firearm, four airguns and several melee weapons.

The operation, which was the culmination of several months of investigation, took place from 0700 hrs on Tuesday morning in four areas of Porto: Pasteleira, Pasteleira Nova, Pinheiro Torres and Aldoar. "These were the most important focuses of trafficking of which we were aware," explained Intendant Rui Mendes, head of the PSP Criminal Investigation Division of Porto.

Rural Fire statistics 2019

The Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) interim report shows that 84% of 7,192 rural fires so far this year, each caused a burnt area of less than one hectare (ha) and that by 15 August one occurrence caused a burnt area greater than 10,000 hectares (Vila de Rei, July 20).

The document also indicates that 34 of the fires fall into the category of major fires (total area equal to or greater than 100 hectares), resulting in 17,379 hectares of burnt area, about 66% of the total.

From the analysis by affected districts, Porto stands out, where 1,136 fires broke out, followed by Lisbon with 600 and Braga with 563, with the exception that the burnt area is mostly less than one hectare.

The district with the largest area burnt was SantarĆ©m, with 6,084 hectares, representing 23% of the total area burned by August 15, followed by Castelo Branco with 5,564 hectares (21% of the total) and Beja with 1,991 hectares (8% of the total). 

Among the 20 municipalities most affected by fires, which account for 66% of the total area burnt, 17 are located north of the Tagus River, totalling 26% of the total number of occurrences and 10% of the total area burnt.

July was the month when there were most fires, with a total of 1,626 fires, 23% of the total since January.

UK's Home Secretary orders review of "Action Fraud" after victims were mocked when making fraud reports

The Home Secretary has demanded a review of Action Fraud's performance by the City of London Police after an undercover reporter found training cut short, managers referring to victims as 'morons' and staff acting unprofessionally in the call centre and on social media.
The Times reporter obtained a job at Action Fraud's Scottish call centre, outsourced to US fi rm Concentrix by City of London Police,
Call handlers working for the police insult victims of fraud and have been trained to mislead them into thinking their cases will be investigated when most are never looked at again.
This was one of the findings by an undercover Times reporter who was among staff who were banned from telling victims that the overwhelming majority of their cases are dismissed, either by low-wage employees at an outsourced call centre or a computer algorithm.
Managers in charge of collating police fraud reports also mocked those who lost money as "morons", "screwballs" and "psychos".
Comment
At Safe Communities Portugal we have received several reports from fraud victims who have reported to Action Fraud but have been dissatisfied with their service. Unfortunately there appears to be little other avenue available to report such cases in the UK.
This video by the undercover reporter shows why the Home Secretary made this decision.
Feature

Responsible use of Facebook  

Facebook has transformed the lives of many people and is a major communication tool where news, opinions and gossip can reach tens of thousands of people in seconds. However, wrongly used it can become a platform for misleading information, hate attacks, racism and false news.   Facebook sets conditions and ways this sort of objectionable material can be removed, but often it is too little too late.

And, how often have you come across this? Someone who creates conflict on sites like Twitter, and Facebook by posting messages that are particularly controversial or inflammatory with the sole intent of provoking an emotional (read: angry) response from other users. These messages are often distracting and take focus away from the subject at hand, sending a rational discussion down a rabbit hole of personal attacks - this is what is known as "social media trolling"

Facebook encourages Admins to establish rules for the group, such as being "kind and courteous", "no hate speech" etc."  Unfortunately this excellent advice is not always adopted and the result of this is often plain to see.

Even when rules are set, however, it appears comments and replies are not always regularly monitored, thus allowing occasional objectionable, inappropriate and false material. Disagreements between members can get out of hand and this can lead to claims of defamation, resulting in the group descending into chaos.

Safe Communities Portugal has produced an Aide Memoire on this topic to assist both Facebook admins and those posting on Facebook, in order to avoid the pitfalls. This will be featured in the 5th September edition of the Algarve Resident.
Notable Arrests

Ukrainian Couple arrested in Lisbon for leaving 3-year-old daughter alone for 14 hours at home  

On 26th august Police detained a 27- and 28-year-old couple suspected of exposing or abandoning a child by leaving their 3-year-old daughter alone for 14 hours in a house in the parish of Star in Lisbon.

"PSP police learned that a child was crying on a terrace alone. Unable to contact the residents of the housing, the police entered the property and removed the child, as her safety was in danger, "explains the Metropolitan Command of Lisbon (Cometlis) of PSP, in a statement released today.

Already in contact with the "visibly frightened" child, the police found that the girl "had no access to food or water and had a red colour on her face," indicating "she was exposed to solar radiation whilst on the balcony".

The child was later taken to the Dona EstefĆ¢nia Hospital in Lisbon, and after being discharged, "was sent to a shelter where she is being looked after," the statement said.


Braganca - PSP seized thousands of pyrotechnic articles at city parties 

PSP announced on 19th August the seizure of various pyrotechnic material from a street vendor during the BraganƧa city festivals. 

According to the PSP the vendor illegally displayed and sold 1900 x Cat - F2 pyrotechnic articles in 19 packages; 700 x Cat - F1 pyrotechnic articles (large heat bombs) in 14 packs; and 1 200 x Cat - F1 pyrotechnic articles, (firecrackers) packed in 24 packages.

Between August 18 and 22, the police conducted Operation FOCUS, with the collaboration of the Weapons and Explosives Centre, and "oversaw all activities related to the use of fireworks and its related activities," said a source of the BraganƧa command

The pyrotechnic articles have been properly seized and the offense of processing will follow its usual course, the PSP stated. The aim is to combat the high number of deaths and accidents from pyrotechnics. 

Between  2015 and 2019 there were 35 accidents and 18 deaths in Portugal.

GNR detects over 200 drunk drivers over the weekend

The Republican National Guard (GNR), in addition to its daily operational activity, carried out a set of operations, throughout Portugal, on the weekend of 24 and 25 August, detecting 1,752 infractions, of which 823 were for speeding and 217 for driving with a higher blood alcohol rate than allowed by law.

76 infringements were also detected for lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 34 for lack or incorrect use of seat belts and / or child restraint, 34 for lack of liability insurance, 26 for misuse of mobile phone while driving, 26 related to anomalies in the lighting and signalling systems and 15 related to tachographs.

Of the 172 people who were arrested, 98 for driving under the influence of alcohol(over criminal limit) , 19 for driving without a legal license, 17 for drug trafficking, 4 for illegal possession of a gun and 2 for theft, 1 for counterfeiting and 1 for domestic violence.

Over the weekend GNR seized 301 doses of heroin, 281 doses of hashish, 11 doses of MDMA, 7 doses of cannabis leaves, 4 knives, one shotgun, 865 euros in cash, 50 dollars in cash, 20 pounds sterling in cash and one vehicle.

Local News

Government announces promotion of 1,500 PSP members

Lisbon, 23 Aug 2019 (Lusa) - Another 1,500 members of the PSP will be promoted, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced in a statement.

"As part of the ongoing effort to enhance the careers of security forces under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the promotion of 1,500 members of the Public Security Police was authorised," the statement said.

According to the Ministry, these promotions are in addition to the 2,550 already authorised during the present legislature. In all, in four years the Government has authorised 4,050 promotions on PSP, "more than double than between 2011 and 2015".

On Thursday the Ministry of Internal Affairs had also reported that PSP had received 22 new vehicles to reinforce the means of the Special Police Unit.

On Wednesday, speaking to Lusa, the president of the Association of Police Professionals (ASPP / PSP), Paulo Rodrigues, complained about the lack of staff at PSP, saying that the corporation has 20,000 agents at its service, but "only 14,000 are able to develop the operational part", which represents 90% of police activity.

"We are very short of bosses, we are very short of agents. At the official level, we have some shortage, but in senior positions we do not notice that shortage. We need people to continue to work at the police station, to keep going out in patrol cars, "said Paulo Rodrigues.

Hooded man robs Pestona Alvor Praia Hotel when President of the Republic was staying there

The Pestana Alvor Praia Hotel, where the President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, was at the time accommodated was robbed at dawn on Sunday, around 00.40 hrs, by a hooded man, who entered the reception of the hotel, threatened the staff and took 240 euros that were in a safe.

According Correio da Manha, the occurrence was confirmed by a source from GNR and also by a source from the Pestana Group, which said it was "a simple theft without the use of weapons".
According to the same source, quoted by the newspaper, no guest was aware of the robbery.

The aide to the President of the Republic also told the Correio da ManhĆ£ that, this Sunday night, the Head of State was no longer in the hotel unit.

19 Year Old Sky Diver dies in accident at PortimĆ£o aerodrome

A 19-year-old man died at at the PortimĆ£o Municipal Aerodrome in Alvor following a "possible technical failure in the equipment" during a parachute jump, Civil Protection Operations District (CDOS) of Faro has reported.

Richard Marques, commander of the PortimĆ£o Fire Department, said that the young man, who was a resident in PortimĆ£o, "hit the ground very violently" and suffered fatal injuries.

"A doctor from INEM, who arrived ten minutes later, declared the death on the spot, "he added.
As to the causes of the accident, Richard Marques stated that this will still need to be cleared by GNR, although, as the CDOS said, there is an indication that there might have been a technical failure.

Ten operational personnel, supported by four vehicles, from the Firefighters of PortimĆ£o, GNR and INEM attended the scene.

Evora firefighting helicopter damaged after parachute incident - one person seriously injured

On 18 th August an Ɖvora aerodrome-based firefighting helicopter was damaged and was rendered inoperable due to an incident with a parachutist who crashed into the aircraft.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when a skydiver "landed" on top of the aerodrome parked helicopter and suffered serious injuries and was transported to hospital emergencies, according to a source for the District Relief Operations Command (CDOS). ) from Ɖvora.

The condition of the parachutist is unknown

The helicopter suffered some structural damage and will be repaired, said the source of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.

19 Year dies after shooting outside LICK disco in Vilamoura

A shooting took place around 03.45 hrson 23rd August outside the LICK Disco near Vilamoura.

According to the GNR the victim, reportedly a LICK Disco staff member, was shot in the head and later died in hospital.

"The alleged perpetrator of the shooting fled on a motorcycle which has since been recovered by the authorities. However, the assailant has not yet been found."

The victim was hit by bullets fired by a man who had been barred at the entrance of the disco some time earlier and it is believed the shots were intended aimed at a security guard but missed.

The Lick Disco in Boliqueime closed its doors this Friday, following the "death of a family member", murdered outside the nightclub. 

Under the motto "All Against Violence," Lick's staff are outraged by what happened, in which a 19-year-old lost his life in an act of pure violence.
 
On the night they closed their doors, they gathered and posted on the social networks a photo stating that, "Let's all do this evening a tribute to our deceased colleague by demonstrating that violence will never rule over our individual freedom, evil will never win over good in the world."

The investigation of the case is now the responsibility of the Judicial Police.

Comment: A terrible crime, but thankfully this is rare in the Algarve where violent crime has decreased considerably in recent years.

Cybercrime

Posting photos of children on social media

Do you share images or videos of your children through social media or applications?

The GNR have recently sent this advice through social media.

"Did you know that these shares involve the creation of a digital footprint that is controlled by third parties.

You may have a say in what you share but your child does not.

The sharing can bring dangers. Please consider carefully before showing images of your child to the world".

Comment

Very wise words indeed. Unfortunately we live in a world where there are people that pose a danger to children, so why expose your child to risk.

A study in the U.S a few years ago, found that more than 90% of 2-year-olds and 80% of babies already had an online presence.

Combating Fake News on Social Media in Portugal

Earlier this month Facebook announced that PolĆ­grafo is its second fact-checking partner in Portugal, after the Observer, who started collaborating with the social network last May.

In early July, Facebook public policy director Andy O'Connell stated in parliament that the social network was "exploring ways to engage fact checkers" in Portugal, in addition to the Observer's partnership. .

"Facebook announces the expansion of the fact-checking program in Portugal with Polygraph, which is certified by the non-partisan organisation International Fact-Checking Network and which, starting this month, will review and evaluate the accuracy of content "on the social network, says the entity in a statement.

The Polygraph is dedicated to verifying the statements that are spoken in the public space, by politicians, influencers and the fake news movements.


Renting property in response to adverts on social media

If you are approached directly by someone on line/social media offering a property for rent, or are responding to an advert, you need to be on your guard that this is not a scam. This is particularly the case with Facebook, where people advertise properties that simply do not exist, or at least not in the area where they say they are.

Anyone can copy photos of properties which look enticing, and can make themselves appear legitimate by stealing logos and website content from legitimate businesses. You need to check carefully that the advertisement is legitimate and the property exists and is available for rent. The following tips will help you reduce the risk of being scammed
Initial checks
  • If the advert is by a third party, who you do not know, ask to deal directly with the owner, or the established letting agent. If this is a private landlord and you are still unsure, ask from proof of ownership of the property.
  • Search the net for the landlords name, phone number, the landlords own address (always ask for this) as well as the property address can turn up discrepancies. You might find the property listed somewhere else by the genuine letting agent or landlord.
  • You can also right click a photo and search google, it might give you the genuine photo, with location.
  • Check the photo carefully, does it look like a property in the area it is being advertised. Watermarks on photos or power sockets, are giveaway clues
  • Facebook - Fake and scam pages don't usually last more than a few months before Facebook takes them down. Scroll back on their timeline to see any adverse comments on their page
  • If it is a short term rent ask for proof that it has been registered as an Alojamento Local.
  • Ask for verifiable contact details preferably a landline, remember .gmail addresses are easy to establish
Read the full advice here

Crime Prevention

How to check if a private security company in Portugal is licensed

From time to time at Safe Communities Portugal we come across companies offering security services such as security alarms and monitoring, which are not licensed in Portugal.
If you are approached by a company or simply wish to know which companies are licensed as required by law, then the PSP police, who regulate this subject, have a dedicated link where  the information can be found.
For the full list simply click on the tab: ""Todos os Alvaras". For your own protection we advise against using non-licensed security companies.
If you have been approached by such a company. Please contact the PSP or email info@safecommunitiesportugal.com

Car parking scam operating in the Algarve

We have become aware of an instance where a person parked her car in a supermarket car park in the eastern Algarve, and when she returned the car would not start.

Within a few seconds a suspicious person approached her, stating he knew what was wrong with the car, that he could repair it and offered to buy the new part. He drove off and returned a few minutes later (clearly no time to buy the part) and demanded money.

Being suspicious no payment was made, the person became very angry and drove off. Police and supermarket security were called and it was eventually found that the car had been interfered with and a starter cable had been disconnected from the underneath at the front of the car.

Advice is not to engage with strangers who may approach you in car parks.

Should you see strangers acting suspiciously report this to the security guard if there is one.

Cash payments for services and goods

From time to time we come across cases where a person has paid for a service in cash, having advertised for that service on social media, only to find that the service provider has taken the money and either provided no service at all,or provided a poor quality service.

Firstly advertising for work, for example painting your house, on social media usually results in plenty of replies but how do you know that those replying are legitimate and trusted service providers? The following tips may help:

  • Unless it is very small work, where an odd-job man may suffice, it is safer to use a reliable registered company with a good track record,  although it may cost more
  • Always  try and find out any recommendations for that persons work, preferably from people you know. In other words are others satisfied with the services provided.
  • Ask how payment is to be made - usual two or three phased payments.
  • Get at least two quotes.
  • Get proper invoices and receipts.
  • Be aware that there are people on Facebook groups who are looking for adverts such as yours in order to scam you.  In this I am including English language Facebook groups in Portugal.
Avoid large cash payments.  On August 23rd, 2017, Law 92/2017 (dated August 22, 2017) entered into force. This new law, regulates the use of cash as mean of payment, as follows:

It is forbidden to pay or receive any payment in cash equal or higher than EUR 3.000 (or its equivalent in foreign currency). This amount is increased to EUR 10.000 (or its equivalent in foreign currency) in case of natural persons not resident in Portugal and not acting as entrepreneurs or merchants.

Remember if you pay in cash and things go wrong you have little comeback!

Civil Protection and Public Safety

Safe camping in wildfire season

Portugal is one of the countries with the highest forest cover in Europe and is a favourite destination for nature-loving holidaymakers.

It is vital that we appreciate what these spaces offer us and take care of their worth. To this end, Turismo de Portugal and AGIF have joined forces to raise awareness among tourism companies and tourists with a view to preventing rural fires and safeguarding people and goods.

Safe Communities Portugal raised this topic in February 2018, with the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, and in June 2018 produced a review paper recommending, amongst other things that there was a need for far greater awareness of campsite safety.

It has taken some time but we are pleased that we have had input into this project through several meetings with various government officials. 

Leaflets have now been produced on line with input and translation provided by Safe Communities Portugal which provides a useful guide to those camping.

Knowing how to prevent fires at campsites and what action to take should a fire break out is important and may save lives 

The leaflet can be downloaded in English here and we would ask people to familiarise themselves with the content

Of course this does not include Wild camping which for safety reasons is illegal in Portugal.

Road Safety

PSP begins two-wheel motor vehicle surveillance and enforcement operation
PSP has been undertaking since Monday 26th  August an operation "2 Wheels in Safety" which until Friday 30 th will inspect two-wheeled vehicles with motor, justified by the "seriousness and consequences of accidents that have occurred".

A statement from PSP states that the operation is taking place at national level with various traffic enforcement actions, especially aimed at the enforcement of two-wheeled motor vehicles (motorcycles and mopeds) and for the risk behaviour of drivers of other vehicles that put two vehicles at risk."

Police remind people that "speeding, non-compliance with the obligation to stop at a traffic light, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, not wearing a protective helmet, not carrying out signalling, irregular overtaking are the offences that contribute to road accidents".

Special attention will be paid to non-helmet use, irregular overtaking, speeding, drunk driving, irregular road changes and non-compliance with priority rules.
Overseas News

Man arrested on Madrid metro for 'upskirting' over 500 women

Spanish police said Wednesday they have arrested a man suspected of secretly recording videos of the underwear of over 500 women, some of them minors, on public transit and supermarkets.

The man allegedly used a mobile phone concealed inside a backpack which he placed on the ground to take pictures up women's skirts in Madrid without their consent, a practice known as "upskirting", police said in a statement.  
 
He then uploaded at least 283 of these videos to a pornographic site where they were viewed over a million times.

Police arrested the 53-year-old Colombian national while he was in the act of recording up the dress of a woman on the Madrid metro using a "strategically placed mobile phone" in his backpack, the statement said.   

He "acted in a compulsive way, daily, recording all the women that he could," it added.  During one five-day period he recorded 29 different women, police said.

Officers seized a laptop and three hard drives from his home which had videos with images of hundreds of women whom he secretly recorded.  
 
A total of 555 women, some of them underage, appear on the 283 videos which he posted online.

Police have so far managed to identify 29 of the women, who have filed criminal complaints against the man, he added.   

The man has been charged with violating privacy, corruption as well as child abuse and child prostitution since some of his victims were underage, Fernandez said. He has been remanded in custody pending his trial.


How you can help - Donation for crime prevention in Portugal
 

Each week Safe Communities Portugal provides advice and assistance to those who have contacted the association. No charge is made for this service. If you have benefited from this then why not make a small donation in return. 

 

Safe Communities Portugal is a non-profit association run by unpaid volunteers. Our services are free of charge and the association is funded by donations. Your generosity by making a donation to help maintain and further develop the work of the association and thereby help keep Portugal a safe place to live and visit would be appreciated. Any amount helps.  


Three ways to make a donation


 

Paypal - If you would like to make a donation through Paypal please visit our Welcome page and click on the "donate" button. 

By cheque - If you wish to donate by cheque the bank account name is "Associacao SCP Safe Communities Portugal" and cheques can be posted to Caixa 207-Z, Alfontes, Boliqueime, 8100-062, Algarve.

By interbank transfer - If you wish to donate through inter bank transfer please use the same name with the following account details NIB 0033 0000 4542 9864 44705. 

All donations should be marked "Donation for crime prevention". Thank you.

Safe Communities Portugal - Regular Features
 
Just a reminder that in addition to our website and Facebook page, Safe Communities Portugal produces regular crime prevention features to help the community. These are  in the Algarve Resident and the next one is out  5th September dealing with the subject of Albufeira.

We also have a 5 minute feature named "Crimecheck" on Sir Owen Gee's Solid Gold Sunday which is usually aired at 0915 hrs on the last Sunday of each month. Over the last few months with the kind agreement of Owen we have run additional features covering topical issues, such as fire protection.  The next one is on   29th September 2019.  

How your friends can obtain up to date Crime Prevention advice
 
Please pass on details of Safe Communities Algarve to neighbours and friends so they to can benefit from the up to date crime prevention advice. Simply ask them to click on the following link to obtain the latest newsletter: www.safecommunitiesportugal.com This is a free service.

 

 

David Thomas

President
Safe Communities Portugal

 

 

29th August 2019