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The president of the Association of Criminal Investigation Officials (ASFIC) warned on Monday that the “stagnation” of the career of the PJ inspectors and the lack of personnel jeopardize the investigation and fight against corruption by the police.

The president of ASFIC-PJ, Ricardo Valadas, told Lusa that negotiations with the Government on the revision of the Organic Law of the PJ and its Professional Statute lasted two and a half years, with a working group presented in June a set of proposals.

However, and although the Justice Minister is committed to the approval of the diplomas, it lacks the signature of the Minister of Finance, he said.

Earlier, an ASFIC-PJ communiqué stated that investigators of the Judicial Police consider that the “Ministry of Finance is mortgaging the future of criminal investigation in Portugal”.

The association considers that the waiting time for revisions of the Organic Law of the PJ and the Professional Statute has run out, and that it is urgent to reposition the careers, a situation that, the President pointed out to Lusa, affects the work and motivation of criminal investigation inspectors.

According to Ricardo Valadas, the lack of motivation for a career that has been “stagnant for a long time” and the lack of personnel (the table foresees 2,400 inspectors and there are now only 1,100). These are at present the main problems of this police organisation who are in charge of the investigation cybercrime, organized and violent crime, organized crime and terrorism.

“It is impossible to fight corruption when a career in criminal investigation has not been corrected 20 years ago and for five years no new people have entered,” Ricardo Valadas said in a statement from ASFIC.

The president of the association claims that this is “the most neglected and neglected career in Public Administration”.

“We have been looking for a full-blown dialogue, marked by deepest negotiating loyalty, which has been a handful of intentions for 20 years. Now, after a long two-year negotiating period with this Government, we will not accept sterile updates to the organic law of the PJ and the statutory regime, “he warned.

For ASFIC, the future of the criminal investigation is undermined, which reduces the capacity to attract new inspectors and, above all, to keep the few who still fulfil the mission that they have proposed.

“Who is willing to invest years in training, to integrate a career without any prospect of progression? Who will be interested in keeping a profession with risks, without the due compensation?” Asked Ricardo Valadas, insisting on the urgency of proceed to career repositioning.

The successive governments do not want to understand that the money spent on the PJ is not a cost but an investment. The greater the activity of the PJ, the greater is also the damage of the groups that have been depleted in the state’s coffers. Organized economic crime and corruption use highly sophisticated means and investigation is undertaken with obsolete means.

Ricardo Valadas admitted to Lusa that leaving the PJ “fragile in this way”, not valuing the careers, nor filling the tables, with the opening of competitions for new candidates, is to seriously compromise the capacity and objectives of this police.

The Judiciary Police, through the National Unit to Combat Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and with the support of the Navy and the Air Force, conducted at the end of last week an operation to combat illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs by sea, which resulted in the location and subsequent seizure of a sailboat type recreational craft which was being used for the transport of high quantities of cocaine between the Caribbean and Europe.

The vessel in question, with the flag of a foreign country, was initially located off the Azores Archipelago, eventually entering the marina of the city of Horta, in Faial Island, where it was searched by the Judicial Police, which were supported by members of the Maritime Police in the city of Horta.

As a result, compartments specially created in the structure of the vessel for the transportation of narcotics containing 700 cocaine plates with an approximate total gross weight of 840 kg were found.

On board were two men and two women who were detained and who according to the evidence already collected will be part of a criminal organization established in different countries of the European continent and Latin America.

This is a result of an investigation initiated recently by the National Unit to Combat Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs of the Judiciary Police following a fruitful exchange of information with the French authorities in the framework of the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center – Narcotics. This has been developed by the authorities of several countries with a view to interdicting the introduction of cocaine into the Europe that is transported in different types of vessels crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

In the last three months has allowed several operations to be carried out, resulting in seizure of more than 10 tons of cocaine.

The detainees, all foreigners and aged between 21 and 36 years, appeared at the first judicial interrogation, and pre-trial detention was applied to two of them.

The investigation is carried out by the Judicial Police in cooperation with the authorities of other countries.

 

The Public Security Police (PSP) starts today September 12, at the national level together with the Regional Commands of Madeira and the Azores, Metropolitans of Lisbon and Porto Districts, “Operation Safe School – Academic Year 2018/2019”.

Through the Safe School Program (PES), the PSP is focused on prevention, making individual contacts, awareness-raising, demonstrations and visits to police sub-units, showing itself  increasingly, as an institution that promotes initiatives, projects and partnerships aimed at promotion values ​​of citizenship in the school community, aimed at the harmonious development of children and young people.

The PES, in its 24th year of official validity, will focus on topics such as dating violence, bullying and cyberbullying, alcohol and drug consumption, road safety and self-protection. This prevention will be undertaken through preventive actions, such as presentations / actions aimed at the adolescents, as well as for the children’s audiences through the stories “I Do as Falco Says.”

The PSP will focus on crime prevention and delinquency in and around educational establishments, as well as reinforce its presence in the home – school – homes of students, teachers, parents / guardians and auxiliaries of educational action.

In the field of road safety, special attention will be given to the safety and restraint systems of children’s vehicles (seat belts and strollers), being aware of the main risk factors (driving under the influence of alcohol and narcotics, speeding , driving without legal authorization, disrespect of pedestrian crossings, signage near schools, child restraint systems – seats), complemented by inspections at commercial establishments selling and consuming alcoholic beverages to minors in public places and places open to the public.

In the last school year, the PSP provisionally recorded a drop in the main indicators of insecurity, there being 3,110 incidents of criminal nature and 1,510 occurrences of non-criminal nature. The PSP made 12,614 awareness actions and 12 359 individual contacts.

PSP is also available to organize news reports at the start of this school year with some educational institutions, with the presence of PES teams available for recording and / or live interviews, as well as the presence in the studio for the OCS they want it.

 

The Portuguese Air Force has rescued 150 migrants who were in the water or drifting after an overcrowded rubber vessel was shipwrecked this week in the central Mediterranean, the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMGFA) said on Friday 7^th September.

In a statement, EMGFA said that  the Portuguese Air Force’s P-3C aircraft on a mission in the central Mediterranean sea, as part of the “Sofhia” military operation of the European Union Naval Force, this week detected north of Libya , two boats overcrowded with migrants, one of them shipwrecked with hundreds of people on board.

The EMGFA points out that the Portuguese military dropped self-inflatable life rafts from the air, which has saved about 150 migrants who are in the water or adrift clinging to various floating objects.

The Libyan coastguard later collected them from the ship wreck.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the rubber vessels detected were sailing towards southern Europe, on one of the irregular immigration routes that still remain active.

Portugal regularly participates in the “Sofhia” military operation, which takes place in the central Mediterranean, and the Air Force is currently contributing with a detachment of 30 military personnel and a P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft from the 601-Lobos Squadron at Sigonella Air Force Base, in Italy.

The primary mission of the Portuguese military in this operation is to contribute to “the dismantling of the business model of smuggling and smuggling networks, as well as the fight against smuggling of fuels in the central Mediterranean.”

The aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force also carries out actions for the identification of ships in international databases, known or suspected of engaging in activities associated with the illegal and indirect financing of criminal organizations or associated with transnational terrorism, according to the EMGFA.

Portugal is also involved in this mission with four more military personnel, two at the Rome operation headquarters and two aboard the Admiral, the Italian navy ship “San Marco”.

The mission ends on September 30.

Judicial Police have advised “that should anyone wish to make a criminal complaint against the company and/or its employees in Portugal, they can do so by contacting DIAP ( the Public Prosecutors office in Faro) in addition to any crime complaints already made to Action Fraud in the UK.

This may assist in determining any contraventions under Portuguese law and other lines of enquiry not being conducted in the UK.

There is no issue with separate enquiries being conducted both in the UK and Portugal, if there is sufficient evidence to justify the latter. That will be determined by DIAP.

In accordance with the law the Complaint must be written in Portuguese and can be submitted by hand at DEPARTAMENTOS DE INVESTIGAÇÃO E AÇÃO PENAL (DIAP) Faro, Rua Antero de Quental, no 9, 8000-210 Faro. Take the original and a copy and the office will stamp the duplicate for retention. You can also send by email to faro.diap@tribunals.org.pt but you will need to send the original by post to them within 7 days. Their contact telephone number is 289 892 942. Their website where more details on reporting can be found is here. http://www.ministeriopublico.pt/perguntas-frequentes/queixa

Please note this is the advice of the Judicial police to those who wish to make a complaint, not that we are at Safe Communities Portugal are advising people to do so.

Permanent monitoring, early detection, the ability to predict the behaviour and evolution of fires, and the effectiveness of the means of combat, with a success rate in the order of 98% have been the determining factors in the execution of the Special Fire Fighting Device (program).

According to provisional data provided by the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), between January 1 and August 31, 2018, a total of 8955 rural fires were recorded, resulting in 36,152 hectares of burned area.

Comparing the figures for 2018 with the average of the last 10 years, there is a reduction of 42% in the number of ignitions and less 60% of burned area.

Until August 31, this year is the 2nd lowest in number of occurrences and the 3rd lowest amount of burned area of ​​the last decade.

During the month of August there were 2562 rural fires, which corresponds to a reduction of 50% compared to the average of the last 10 years. The total burned area was 30,562 hectares, which compares with the average of 52,401 hectares in the last 10 years.

With regard to larger fires, up until the end of August, Monchique is the only one with an area burned of ​​more than 1,000 hectares. Provisional data from the ICNF indicate that the fire that started at the beginning of the month in that municipality consumed 26,763 hectares, between agricultural areas, stands and bushes.

About 65,472 operational and 16,890 land resources (vehicles) were used to combat the rural fires that occurred during this period, and 1,428 operations were registered requiring air resources, of which 1,183 were in Initial Attack.

The fire risk is constantly assessed and, given the daily updating and analysis of available data, the National Civil Protection Authority continues to adjust the level of operational readiness and response through the necessary pre-positioning and reinforcement of resources for surveillance operations, surveillance, deterrent patrols and combat missions.

According to data provided by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the month of August 2018 was the second hottest of the last 15 years, shortly after 2003. The average value of the maximum air temperature (32.41 degrees Celsius) was the highest since 1931.

In light of these atmospheric conditions and with a view to assessing the fire risk, during this month the ANPC determined a total of 14 days of Special Red Alert Status and 10 days of Special Orange Alert Status, within the scope of the Integrated Protection Operations System and Socorro (SIOPS) for most of the continental territory.

In the period between January 1 and August 15, 2018, the national database of rural fires recorded a total of 7670 rural fires that resulted in 34791 hectares of burned area, forest areas (19377 ha), bush (13433 ha ) and agriculture (1981 ha).

Comparing the figures ​​of 2018 with the previous 10 years, there were 40% fewer rural fires and 49% less area burned than the annual average for the period 2008-17.

The year 2018 presents, until August 15, the second lowest in the number of occurrences and the 5th lowest amount of burned area, since 2008.

Of the total fires 4850 were investigated, (63% of the total number of fires – responsible for 17% of the area burned

Of these, the investigation the causes were established in 3421 fires (71% of fires of those investigated.

To date, the most frequent causes in 2018 are: the uncontrolled burning of pasture (66%), 14% deliberate and re-ignitions 9%.

A total of 56 fires were caused by discarded cigarette butts and 34 from fireworks or BBQs %

THREE IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

1. ANPC NOTIFICATION
When the weather conditions are forecast to be extreme with an exceptionally high risk of fires, the ANPC will issue a notification stating the forecast, expected effects and preventive steps. This is placed on SCP Facebook page in English and the following link. PLEASE ALWAYS SHARE IMMEDIATELY – IT IS IMPORTANT
https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/current-anpc-weath…/

The Judicial Police, through the Board of Directors of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo , have identified, located and detained a man, 62 years of age, strongly suspected of causing a fire.

The investigation found that the detainee had caused the fire in the late afternoon of the 15th, in a rural area belonging to a farm in the area of ​​Benavente.

In this fire, there were no high damages and losses, because the fire was detected early, and it is possible to extinguish it in its initial phase.

The person is suspected to have acted, driven by a strong desire of revenge against the owner of the farm where the fire occoured.

The detainee was present at the first judicial interrogation, and the preventive detention measure was applied.

 

Outrage leads people who made donations to victims of the fires to claim the money back after suspected irregularities.

The Pedrógão Grande Chamber has received, in the last two days, dozens of insulting and threatening calls and emails from people who made donations to the victims of the fires last summer.

Suspicions of irregularities in the application of the funds, reported on 22^nd August by TVI, created a climate of widespread indignation.

This case, reported in July by the “Vision”, led the President of the Republic to say at the time that “the Portuguese cannot be in doubt that, when they contribute to a noble cause, and not that there is a deviation from the essential purpose of their contribution “.

The PGR has an open investigation in this case, although that are no defendants.