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Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 10th April 2024

by Mike Evans

Good day to you all and the weather is starting to get much warmer. From Thursday onwards, we can expect the temperatures to be “well above average for the time of year”, with maximums between 25 and 27 degrees, reaching 30 degrees in some places on the continent, according to IPMA .

Meteorologist Mara João Frada explained that the mass of cold air that is currently on the continent will be gradually replaced by a mass of hot, tropical air.

“We will have the imposition of an easterly current that will bring tropical air circulation, affecting mainland Portugal. Above-average temperatures exceeding 10 degrees are forecast, with the exception of the Algarve,” he said.Also this week we produced some statistics on how the Algarve has fared with regards to crime in the past year. the figures for the Algarve, overall crime was 26,098 increasing by 12.7% compared to 2022 and the highest since 2010.

In the main crime categories: crimes against persons increased by 4.3% and property crime by 10.1%. A more detailed account can be found later in this report.

PSP made 13 arrests in the region over the weekend

The District Command of the PSP of Faro made a total of 13 arrests last weekend, for the crimes of drug trafficking, offences against physical integrity, crimes against public authority and aggravated injury, driving without a legal licence and driving in a state of drunkenness, in the cities of Faro , Olhão, Portimão and Lagos, was announced today.

One of the arrests occurred in the city of Lagos, following preventive patrols aimed at drug trafficking. Following the intersection, the PSP found that the suspect had in his possession “14 doses of crack and 70 doses of heroin”.

In Portimão, a woman was arrested and accused of assaulting another citizen, following an argument that began in a nightlife establishment. “Following this discussion, already on public roads, the suspect attacked the victim, using a glass bottle, causing several bruises to his face and arm”, details the PSP in a statement. The PSP also made, on the same weekend, two arrests for the crimes of aggravated insult and resistance and coercion against an employee against the police, in the cities of Olhão and Lagos, following police interventions with the suspects. In the same period, six other citizens were also arrested in the cities of Faro, Olhão, Portimão and Lagos for road crimes.

PJ investigates assault with a firearm in store robbery in Portimão

The Judiciary Police (PJ) is investigating an attack with a firearm that seriously injured a man during a robbery at a convenience store on Monday, the 8th, in Portimão, a police source revealed today.

According to the same source, the attack occurred during a robbery at a convenience store, where a Moneygram international money transfer agency operates, located on Rua D. Carlos I.According to the police source, to complete the robbery, the robber “injured the employee with a firearm”, causing him serious injuries. The victim’s life is in danger in a hospital in Lisbon. “We are taking steps to try to identify the perpetrator of the robbery and aggression, who is on the run”, he explained.

In turn, a Civil Protection source said that the store employee suffered serious neck injuries.

The man was taken to the hospital in Portimão and later transferred to one of the central hospitals in Lisbon.

Man Arrested for Murder In Portimao

On the 4th April, in the city of Portimão, the police detained a suspect for committing a crime of homicide, reported the District Command of the PSP of Faro.

Following an incident of aggression between two individuals, involving the use of a bladed weapon, the PSP was reportedly called at 8:40 pm. Upon arrival at the scene, the police found the victim prostrate on the ground and receiving assistance.

The suspect was still at the scene, and the authorities were able to gather “strong evidence that he had just committed that crime, having been arrested and the bladed weapon seized”.

The victim was transported to Portimão Hospital, where he was declared dead.

Spanish Vessel caught engaged in illegal fishing activity in the Algarve

During a maritime patrol and surveillance action south of Tavira , the Navy ship NRP Cassiopeia detected a Spanish fishing vessel carrying out illegal fishing activity using seine gear in the early hours of Wednesday. On board were more than three tons of sardines, the capture of which is prohibited until May 1, 2024, due to the species’ closed season.

Under the coordination of the captain of the port of Tavira, the offending vessel was accompanied to the port of Olhão, and the fish was seized by the Tavira Maritime Police, who took charge of the incident.

In a statement, it is highlighted that the Portuguese Navy and the National Maritime Authority “continue to combine efforts to ensure compliance with the Law and State authority at sea in spaces under national sovereignty and jurisdiction, for the benefit of the blue economy and the preservation of the marine environment , as well as for the defence of national interests”.

Navy Officer Stabbed 11 Times in Faro- 2 Arrested

Two young men are facing charges of attempted murder after stabbing a Portuguese Navy officer 11 times after he refused to serve one of them a coffee at his wife’s café in Faro.

The case dates back to March 22 when an argument broke out between the Navy officer and one of the youngsters, who was asked to leave the café.

According to a statement from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the young man returned to the scene shortly after with his brother, the other suspect, and two unidentified people, who together viciously attacked the Navy Officer. The group reportedly started by punching the man, after which one of them stabbed the victim 11 times in several parts of the body using a pocket knife. The group fled the scene immediately afterwards.The victim was taken to the hospital in serious condition and had to undergo surgery, the statement adds.

The two suspects who have been identified have been remanded in custody, while an investigation is still underway, led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Faro and PJ criminal police.

Navy coordinates rescue of foreigner off the Algarve from Cruise Ship

The Portuguese Navy, through the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Lisboa), coordinated, on Monday, a medical rescue of an individual of Swiss nationality, aged 83, who was on board a ship of passengers, sailing approximately 70 nautical miles (the equivalent of 130 kilometres), south of Cabo de São Vicente, towards the port of Cádiz.

The request for assistance arrived at MRCC Lisboa through the Madrid Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC MADRID), which was contacted by the ship with the indication of a passenger with a traumatic brain injury.

Immediately, as it was an urgent situation, “the EH-101 aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force was committed to rescue and transport the passenger to Faro airport, where he was subsequently transferred to a hospital unit”, details the Navy.

Algarve Crime Statistics from the General Directorate of Justice Policy

On 28th March the government published its national crime figures for 2023 showing an overall increase in reported crime of 8.2%, taking it to the highest in 10 years.

Analysing the figures for the Algarve, overall crime was 26,098 increasing by 12.7% compared to 2022 and the highest since 2010.

In the main crime categories: crimes against persons increased by 4.3% and property crime by 10.1%.

As was the case in most of the country, most specific crimes increased compared with 2022. The figures are as follows but should be considered preliminary pending the publication of the RASI report. For the Algarve specifically;

Increases

– Opportunist crime: 1189 up 10.3%

– Theft from motor vehicle: 1527 +10.9%

– Theft of Motor vehicles: 780 +41.8%

– Criminal damage: 1529 +1.6%

– Burglary by breaking into residence; 771 +4%

– Theft of non-precious metals: 227 +87% highest for 10 years

– Computer fraud and communications: 1888 +24.4%

– Assault: 1845 +10.6%

– Driving without legal documents: 1226 +56.7%

– Crimes related to drugs: 770 +57.7%

– Drink driving: 1706 +27.7%

Decreases

– Crimes that decreased compared with 2022 were:

– Domestic violence against spouse: 1365 -3.4%

– Street robbery/snatching: 160 – 11.6% lowest in 5 years

– Crimes against Pet animals: 109 -2.6%

– Pickpocketing 360 -9.7%

– Residential Robberies: 26 – 23.5% lowest over 10 years

Across the Municipalities In terms of highest they ranked:

1st Loule – 5094, 2nd Albufeira – 4180, 3rd Portimao – 2986, 4th Faro – 2883,

5th Olhao – 2062 and the Lowest: Alcoutim – 92

We will publish the full report on our website at SafeCommunitiesportugal.com when it is available.

Have a safe and enjoyable week.

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 3rd April 2024

Good morning. We start this with the publication of the crime figures for 2023. According to statistics from the Directorate-General for Justice Policy, crimes recorded by the Portuguese police increased by around 8% last year compared to 2022 and reached the highest levels ​​in 10 years, totalling 371,995 incidents.  Although this will inevitably viewed with some concern, figures alone do not tell the whole story, and a deeper analysis will only be possible with the publication of the Annual Internal Security Report (RASI), which should be available in the next few days.

We congratulate the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) on its 17th anniversary (on Monday 1stApril) and all the improvements that have been made over the last 17 years. Major challenges lay ahead resulting from climate change, but Portugal is well prepared as it has a structure in place that works, together with the commitment of all the agents and entities involved that comprise civil protection.

It is with some sadness that we bid farewell to Patricia Gaspar Secretary of State for Civil Protection, who has worked extremely hard in the post for over four years, and has been instrumental, working together closely with the President of the ANEPC General Duarte Costa, in bringing about many of the improvements we have seen over this period. For those who have not met her, she is perhaps one of the most inspirational leaders I have met. With the election of a new Government this has resulted in changes at Ministerial level and also Secretary of States. Patricia Gaspar has given much support to Safe Communities both in her current role and also whilst she was working in the ANEPC headquarters since we met in in 2016. An excellent leader, and with her vast experience in civil protection, including that as an operational commander, we await news of her future. A hard act to follow.

Turning to the weather the 15th storm of the 2023-2024 season has been named OLIVIA, which will directly affect the Azores today Wednesday, April 3rd. Storm OLIVIA is expected to cause a significant increase in wind intensity, with gusts that could reach 110 km/h in the Western Group (Corvo and Flores) and 100 km/h in the Central Group (Pico, Faial, S. Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira). It is expected in the Azores, especially in the Western Islands, that rough seas waves that can reach up to 7m in height and up to 12m in maximum height. Indirectly it will affect Mainland Portugal, some wind, strong sea agitation and change of weather (again) at the weekend. Please monitor the situation through any warning issued by the IPMA and ANEPC, and keep well away from shore lines.

It was reported yesterday that it will cost 14 million euros to replace the sand that “disappeared from Quarteira beach following the storms that affected the Algarve last week”. While most people think of the beach as a place to relax, it has always served a more purposeful role: a buffer against storms. It’s a role that will become even more important as climate change continues to disrupt nature’s delicate balance, inciting sea level rise and stronger, more frequent storms on the coasts. We hope in this case in addition to replacing the sand some innovative solutions can be found to avoid such loses in the future given the more likely occurrence due to extreme weather conditions.

We know that at this time of year many of you are looking to spruce up your garden, greenhouse or window sill, and we are delighted to announce that you will have the opportunity during the forthcoming Plant Fair, which will take place at the Museu do Traje in São Bràs de Alportel, on the 6th of April, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. We are very grateful to Susan Finlay in inviting Safe Communities Portugal to the Fair. Our stand is in the indoor section and we will be available to answer any questions you may have on land cleaning (deadline 30th April), and civil protection, crime prevention and Safe Residence Program matters. We look forward to seeing you at the fair.

Our team at Safe Communities Portugal wishes you a safe and happy week ahead.

News

Google will destroy data relating to millions of users obtained online

Google will destroy millions of users’ data it saved while they browsed online, under the terms of an agreement reached on Monday to end a legal conflict over the confidentiality of personal information.

The class action lawsuit filed in 2020 focuses on the ‘Incognito’ mode in Google’s Chrome browser, which gives users the impression that they are not being followed by the online search conglomerate – wrongly, according to the plaintiffs.

They accuse the worldwide number of those published online and having misled them due to the way Chrome guided people who used this private browsing option.

“The plaintiffs’ efforts allowed them to obtain key confessions from Google employees, including documents where ‘Incognito’ was described as “a lie in practice”, a “problem of professional ethics and elementary honesty” and “a bazaar ripe for confusion”, the lawyers reported in the agreement filed Monday before a San Francisco court.

Google has committed to “immediately” reformulating the information available about ‘Incognito’ mode, to “inform users that it collects private browsing data”.

And the company must block third-party cookies by default in ‘Incognito’ mode — those computer programs used in particular to track users online and target them in advertising. Google has already started the transition to end these highly criticized programs.

Gaia Heliport will have connection to emergency and intensive medicine in 20 seconds

The Gaia Espinho Local Health Unit heliport, which can operate at night, is being built on top of a five-story building, where the emergency department is located, as well as the intensive care and neurocritical care units.

The Gaia hospital helipad is being installed on top of a building with elevators that will allow the patient to be taken to the emergency room or intensive medicine in around 20 seconds, it was announced this Tuesday.

The project, budgeted at almost 1.5 million euros, received a favourable opinion from the National Civil Aviation Authority in July last year, a source from the Gaia Espinho Local Health Unit (ULSGE) revealed to Lusa.

“The helipad will be installed at the top of the building where the critical patient treatment area is located, which allows quick vertical access, via elevators: after landing, it will take no more than 20 seconds to reach the Emergency Room or Service of Intensive Medicine” , described the source about the work, which started at the end of March.

Currently, a patient who has to be helitransported to the Santos Silva Hospital, in Vila Nova de Gaia, arrives at the Serra do Pilar Barracks track, next to the Luís I bridge, and then has to face traffic constraints to reach the hospital unit in ambulance

The ULSGE heliport, which can operate at night, is being built on top of a five-story building, where the emergency department is located, as well as the intensive care and neurocritical care units.

The works are taking place on the roof “without causing constraints on the services” installed in the building that houses, for example, the maternity ward, guaranteed ULSGE.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 3rd April 2024

by Mike Evans

Good day to you all. We at Safe Communities hope you all enjoyed a safe Easter. Whilst we did not see the usual warm sunshine across the country, many areas of the Algarve were fortunate enough to see some sunshine. This was mixed with some very heavy rain in many areas of the south, something that was needed to alleviate the drought issues we are still facing. There is a certain amount of irony in the news today which tells us that the Alqueva Dam which is situated in the largest man made lake in Europe and is in the Alentejo is now just a few centimetres away from being full. Unfortunately this particular lake does not serve the Algarve so we will not benefit from this plethora of water!

The latest news on the state of the reservoirs that serve the Algarve is better than it was but still very dire unless we see some further sustained rainfall over the coming weeks.

Amount of Water in the western Algarve river basin rises to 20.8%

In March, there was an increase in the volume stored in nine river basins and a decrease in three. Despite the increase seen in the last month, the amount of water retained in the windward basin was far from average. According to data from the National Water Resources Information System (SNIRH) available this Tuesday, in March, there was an increase in the volume stored in nine river basins and a decrease in three.

Despite the increase seen in the last month, the amount of water retained in the windward basin was far from the average, which is 74.1%. In February this basin was at 12.5% ​​of its capacity and in January it was at 9.4%.

At the end of February, the entire Algarve region was in a situation of weak meteorological drought. March 2024 storages by river basin are higher than the storage averages for the same month (reference period 1990/91 to 2022/23), with the exception of the Ave (69.9%), Mira (40 .3%), Ribeiras do Algarve (Barlavento 20.8%) and Arade (40.9%).

On the last day of March, the Tagus, Cávado and Guadiana basins were those with the highest volume of water, with 95.4%, 93.8% and 91.4%, respectively.

According to the SNIRH, of the 60 monitored reservoirs, 38 had water availability greater than 80% of the total volume at the end of March and four had water availability less than 40%.

Each river basin may correspond to more than one reservoir. Last week’s rain brought almost as much water to the Algarve as was expected for the entire year. The Portuguese Environment Agency is still calculating the values, but everything indicates that the Algarve’s dams have risen from 36 to 43% of capacity. The March rain brought as much water to the Bravura dam as it had left at the historic minimum recorded in October last year.

2.5 million cubic metres raised reserves to 20% of the reservoir’s capacity, a level they have not been at since 2021.

A source from the Portuguese Environment Agency says, however, that it is too early to put an end to the hydrological drought, everything will depend on what the rest of April and eventually May brings.

A meeting of the drought monitoring committee is scheduled for next week, in Faro. Some of the consumption restriction measures may be reevaluated. We will make sure we publish what is said at this meeting.

And now a look at some of the other stories that have been happening across the Algarve.

Woman dies in Road Accident near Portimao Bridge

A collision between two light vehicles and a heavy goods vehicle on Estrada Nacional (EN) 125, next to the new bridge in Portimão, resulted in a fatality this Tuesday morning, said a Civil Protection source.

The accident took place at the Companheira site, close to the new bridge over the Arade river, causing the death of a 58-year-old woman, said the source from the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command.

According to the same source, the accident also caused minor injuries to two men, one aged 55 and the other aged 75. The alert was given at 9:01 am and 21 operatives and nine emergency forces vehicles rushed to the scene.

PJ Arrests Man in Albufeira for Attempted Murder

The Judiciary Police (PJ) detained a 23-year-old man due to “strong indications” of the crime of attempted murder in Albufeira, with the suspect being held in preventive detention, the entity announced this Saturday.

In a statement, the PJ said that “it arrested a 23-year-old man, due to strong evidence of the crime of qualified homicide in the attempted form that occurred in Albufeira”, in the Algarve.

“The investigation, led by the southern directorate, found that in the early hours of this Friday, following an argument, apparently for futile reasons, the now detained man allegedly attacked a person using a firearm, and then came to flee”, continues the PJ in the same informative note. The victim “suffered such injuries that he had to be taken to the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, where he remains, ” says the same source.

“At the first judicial interrogation, the suspect was placed in preventive detention”, the information note also states.

19-year-old Man wanted by French authorities detained by PJ

The PJ detained a 19-year-old young man in the Algarve who was wanted by the French authorities about a year ago after he injured three people, one of them seriously, at a train station in France, the police said this Saturday.

In a statement, the Judicial Police states that the PJ’s Criminal Information Unit detained, in Loulé , a 19-year-old foreign citizen, under whom a European Arrest Warrant (MDE) was pending, issued by the French judicial authorities, for the crime of using a bladed weapon with intent to injure.

According to the PJ, the young man, who has lived in Portugal since he was 11 months old, is accused of, in the context of a fight, which occurred at a train station in France around a year ago, injuring three people, one of them seriously. The PJ explains that, at the time, the suspect was not intercepted by the Police, which is why the EAW was issued and, due to these facts, he could be sentenced to a sentence of five years in prison.

That police adds that the young man was presented to the Court of Appeal of Évora, which determined that he should wait for the terms of the extradition process, being subject to the measure of coercion of weekly appearances at the police station in the area of ​​residence and prohibition of being absent from limits of the Algarve district, without prior authorization from the Court.

Man detained by PJ for committing 15 crimes of sexual abuse of children in Portimão

This week, the Judiciary Police (PJ) detained a Portuguese citizen in the Portimão area, on whom a European arrest warrant was pending, issued by the Luxembourg authorities, for committing 15 crimes of sexual abuse of children and offenses against physical integrity. .

According to the PJ, “after carrying out research and analysing criminal information, complemented by operational measures, the Criminal Information Unit arrived at the location of the man, who was detained in the Portimão area”.

The 79-year-old man is sentenced to a sentence of 20 years in prison, for committing crimes that occurred within the family, between 2007 and 2008. The victims were his own daughters, having committed them using physical violence . Present at the Court of Appeal of Évora, it was determined that he would remain in preventive detention for the extradition process.

Man Arrested on Suspicion of belonging to highly organised Drug Trafficking Gang

The Judicial Police (PJ), through the Criminal Information Unit, located and detained, in the Algarve, a foreign citizen, in compliance with an international arrest warrant, issued by the Brazilian judicial authorities, after research and development of operational measures for several days , the PJ announced today.

The 32-year-old man is suspected of belonging to a highly organised criminal group involved in international drug trafficking.

 

“As part of the international cocaine trafficking network of which he was part, the detainee was responsible for all the logistics associated with preparing the cocaine couriers’ journey from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Europe. For these facts he could be sentenced to 15 years in prison,” the PJ said in a statement.

The suspect was presented to the Évora Court of Appeal , which ordered him to await the terms of the extradition process in preventive detention.

Two Arrested  For Attempted Murder in Faro

The Southern Directorate of the Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested, this Wednesday, March 27th, two men, aged 18 and 23, due to strong evidence of the crime of attempted homicide, which occurred in the municipality of Faro .

The victim, a 44-year-old man, was seriously attacked, using a sharp weapon, and was, at the time, assisted by emergency services and subsequently taken to the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve.

The origin of the aggression was the refusal of the victim, owner of a commercial establishment, to serve one of the attackers after closing time. One of the suspects was located by the GNR, 24 hours after the attack, and was arrested outside of the act by the PJ, after collecting evidence.

Following the investigative steps, the other participant in the attacks was arrested outside of the act, verifying the existence of family ties between both detainees.

Present before the judicial authority, the most serious measure of coercion was applied to them, preventive detention.

Woman Dies after Falling Into a Well in Santa Rita

Yesterday 27th March was marked by the death of a 70-year-old woman, after a well fell in Santa Rita, in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António .

Emergency services rescued the victim, who was already lifeless, and the circumstances of the fall were not revealed by the authorities.

There were 21 operatives on site, from VMER de Faro, SIV Tavira, Firefighters from Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim and members of the GNR from Vila Real de Santo António, assisted by 9 vehicles.

Results of Operation Easter Campaign released.

To end this report we look at the results of the Operation Easter road safety campaign which we wrote about last week. According to the GNR, 2 people died and 10 were seriously injured in the 827 accidents recorded by the GNR during their ‘Operation Easter 2024’ road safety campaign, which started last Thursday and ended on the 1st April.

Of the 22,263 drivers monitored during the operation, 303 were driving with excess alcohol and 165 were arrested for driving with a blood alcohol level greater than 1.2 g/l.

The statement released by the GNR also says that 56 people were arrested for driving without a legal licence.

Between 00:00 on Thursday and 23:59 on Sunday, 240 minor injuries were also recorded on the roads. In total during the operation, the GNR detected 2,913 road traffic violations, 642 for speeding, 455 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 153 for lack of mandatory civil liability insurance and 76 for anomalies in lighting and signalling systems. 69 drivers were also detected using their cell phone incorrectly while driving and 85 cases of missing or incorrect use of seat belts and/or child seats. These figures are from the nationwide campaign and not just the Algarve.

Have a good week and stay safe.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 3rd April 2024

The search for the missing diver in the sea off Terceira Island resumed on Monday.

The search resumed on Monday afternoon for the diver who has been missing at sea, on the island of Terceira, since March 30th.

According to a statement from the National Maritime Authority, “the search for the diver who has been missing since March 30th, near the Fradinhos islets, on Terceira Island, will resume in the early afternoon of today, April 1st, as soon as conditions meteorological and oceanographic data allow it”.

In the search operations, coordinated by the Port Captain and local Commander of the Maritime Police of Praia da Vitória and Angra do Heroísmo, crew members from the “Lifeguard Station of Praia da Vitória and Angra do Heroísmo and elements of the local Command of the Praia da Vitória Maritime Police, supported by a vessel, as well as a group of voluntary amateur divers from the island’s nautical clubs”.

The AMN press release states that the “Maritime Police Psychology office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s family and friends”.

“According to what was possible to ascertain, the 43-year-old man was practicing diving and did not return to land”, concludes the AMN note.

Earthquake measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale felt on Terceira Island.

An earthquake measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale, with an epicentre about four kilometres east of Serreta, on the island of Terceira, was felt on the 31st of March at 12:29 (13:29 Lisbon), according to IPMA.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) informs that the event did not cause personal or material damage and was felt with the maximum intensity of III/IV on the modified Mercalli scale, in the parish of Raminho, in Terceira.

According to the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified according to their magnitude as micro (less than 2.0), very small (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), slight (4 ,0-4.9), moderate (5.0-5.9), strong (6.0-6.9), large (7.0-7.9), important (8.0-8.9 ), exceptional (9.0-9.9) and extreme (when higher than 10).

The Modified Mercalli scale measures “degrees of intensity and respective description”.

With intensity III, considered weak, the shock is felt inside the house and hanging objects swing, perceiving a “vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles”, reveals the IPMA on its website.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 27th March 2024

Three crew members from a sailing boat rescued off the Azores.

The Portuguese Navy rescued three crew members from a Dutch-flagged sailboat, which was adrift 771 nautical miles south of the island of Santa Maria.

According to a statement from the Portuguese Navy, through the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, “the rescue of three crew members of the sailing ship ‘Norwegian Queen’, flying the flag of the Netherlands, was carried out over the weekend, which was found itself adrift, due to breakdown, four days ago, 771 nautical miles, approximately 1430 kilometres, south of the island of Santa Maria”.

It was the crew who contacted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Madrid, which passed the case on to the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre in Ponta Delgada.

The Navy reports that two merchant ships were sent to the location and the three crew members were rescued by the ship “Stena Carron”, on Sunday, at 2:07 pm.

According to the Navy, the crew members “were in good health and are now on board the ship that rescued them, which continues its journey to Guyana, in South America”.

Arrested suspected of murder of foreign citizen on the island of Faial.

On Monday 25th March , the Judiciary Police, through the Azores Criminal Investigation Department, arrested the alleged murderer of a 49-year-old Cape Verdean citizen, who died following a physical attack at a nightclub in the city of Horta, Faial island, in the early hours of Sunday.

According to a statement from the Judiciary Police, the crime occurred in the context of a “violent argument involving several people, during which the now detained person, an employee of that establishment, allegedly punched the victim, a 49-year-old man, leaving him the unconscious.”

The victim was rescued and transported to Horta Hospital, “where death was declared at 5:30 pm on Monday”.

The PJ also says that the 23-year-old detainee will be brought before the judicial authorities to apply coercive measures.

Search ends for Indonesian crew member off the island of São Miguel

On Sunday, the Portuguese Navy ended the search for the Indonesian crew member off the island of São Miguel who fell into the sea last Friday.

According to a statement, the Portuguese Navy said that through the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Delgada), it conducted a search and rescue action for an Indonesian crew member of the fishing vessel ‘Garcia Miguel’, who fell into the sea while fishing was underway, approximately 345 miles, the equivalent of 639 kilometres northeast of the island of São Miguel.

The corvette António Enes, sent by the Portuguese Navy, began a search and rescue action at 1:18 pm on Friday.

For 41 hours, even with “adverse weather conditions that were felt at the location”, the vessel moved to the area of ​​operations, with the ship carrying out “searches in the area in addition to the search effort carried out by other merchant ships, under coordination of MRCC Delgada”, indicated the Navy in a statement.

The corvette António Enes remained at the location in search actions for 14 hours longer than the limit for survival of human life at sea, depending on the temperature of the sea water at the location and the environmental conditions observed.

The search for the man ended at 1pm on Sunday, when it was considered “totally impossible” to find the injured crew member alive.

However, the Navy indicates that the warning to navigation will remain in force, alerting all ships and vessels crossing the area to remain alert and report any sightings to the MRCC Delgada.

In addition to the Portuguese Navy, the fishing vessels “Miguel Garcia” and “Estrela de Ancora”, the merchant ships “NIGJING HAI”, “Monte Brasil”, “Euronike”, “OOCL GUANG ZHOU”, “Caribbean Loyalty” were involved in the searches. , “New Haven”, as well as the Navy and Air Force assets on a mission in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, respectively, the NRP António Enes and a C-295 aircraft, from the Portuguese Air Force.

In total, ten units were committed, and searches were carried out in an area of ​​1600 square nautical miles, approximately 5487 square kilometers.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 27th March 2024

by Mike Evans

A very good day to you all whether you are reading this from the Algarve or farther afield. We start this report by highlighting the latest road safety awareness scheme which coincides with the Easter period, run by the GNR and PSP. “Operation Easter 2024” starts this Monday and will run until the 1st April it will happen throughout the continental territory, through the intensification of patrolling and carrying out awareness-raising and inspection actions .

This action aims to: combat crime, contribute to reducing road accidents, regularise traffic and support all citizens, providing them with the Easter festivities and their travels, safely.

This season is characterised by the reunion of families in their regions of origin and, as it corresponds to the school holiday period, a significant increase in road traffic on Portuguese roads is expected. In this sense, the Guard, through the military from the Territorial Commands and Traffic Detachments, will have the “Easter 2024” operation underway, which aims to ensure the safety and protection of people, which goes beyond road inspection and the effort is also aimed at festivities, their surroundings, residential and commercial areas, as well as the most critical road traffic routes. The inspection period for the greatest road patrol effort, on the most critical roads, will be between the beginning of March 28th and April 1st, a period when the highest volume of traffic is expected.

The GNR advises attentive, cautious and defensive driving, so that the festive period can be spent safely. To travel safely this festive season, GNR advises: adapting your speed to weather conditions, the condition of the road and the volume of road traffic; avoid manoeuvres that could result in traffic obstruction or that, in any way, could lead to accidents, maintaining attentive and defensive driving.

For all information regarding traffic congestion and alternatives, please contact the GNR National Integrated Operational Management Center, 24 hours a day, on 213 217 000.

Water Shortage in the region is “the worst ever” even after rain says APA

The vice-president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), José Pimenta Machado, said on Friday, the 22nd, that the Algarve is “in the worst situation ever” in relation to the lack of water, even after the rains of the first Months of the year.

“It is true that the rains in January and February brought some water to the Algarve reservoirs and that is good news, but we are worse off than in the past and we are in the worst situation ever in the region”, said the official.

José Pimenta Machado was speaking at the inauguration of an exhibition dedicated to World Water Day, which also marks the launch of the National Museum and Water Resources Archive project, to be installed in an old paper factory on the Caima River, in Valmaior, Albergaria-a- Velha (Aveiro). Although the country currently has, on average, reservoirs at 87%, he said, problems persist on the Alentejo coast and in the Algarve, and in the future the forecast is that there will be less water, warned the vice-president of APA.

For the person responsible, first of all, it is necessary to act to have more efficient water management, without prejudice to moving forward with new dams.

“It doesn’t make any sense to have a network in which 50% or 60% of the water is lost”, he criticised, arguing that “the first priority must be given to the efficiency of the systems”. It’s just that it’s not enough to have more dams if they don’t have water and he exemplified: “we have to increase water reserves, but today we have three dams that are still at less than 20%, two in the Algarve and one in Alentejo”.

In the particular case of the Algarve, the solution for the vice-president of the APA is the desalination of seawater, which is the other bet that has to be made.

“We are going to build the first large desalination plant in the Algarve area, in Albufeira , and it is so important for the region”, highlighted José Pimenta Machado.

The leader recalled that Portugal was the first European country to have a desalination plant, on the island of Porto Santo, in the Madeira region, which “works well” and is “very important” for the island.

The Algarve has been on alert due to drought since February 5th, with the Government having approved a set of measures to restrict consumption, namely a 15% reduction in the urban sector, including tourism, and a 25% reduction in agriculture.

In addition to these measures, there are others such as combating losses in supply networks, the use of treated water to irrigate green spaces, streets and golf courses or the suspension of the granting of titles for the use of water resources.

The Government has already admitted to increasing the level of restrictions, declaring a state of environmental emergency or calamity, if the measures now implemented are insufficient to address water scarcity in the region.

Man arrested in Faro for drug trafficking

During last weekend, the PSP arrested a man for drug trafficking in downtown Faro, following an operation aimed at that area of ​​the city, that police force reported today.

In a statement, the PSP said that the suspect was “detected selling drugs to a citizen, and was promptly approached”, with the agents later finding that the man had more drugs in his possession, which is why he was detained.

After a home search, a total of 366 individual doses of hashish, money suspected to have come from this activity, as well as products used for the preparation, packaging and sale of this drug were seized.

Man in wheelchair shot in Olhão

A man was shot this morning 24 March in Olhão, a source from the Public Security Police ( PSP ) revealed, noting that the attacker is on the run.

The man, “apparently of limited mobility”, was shot on Rua do Capelo, in Olhão, at 1:50 am in the right lower limb, according to a source from the PSP national directorate, who has no indication whether the victim was hospitalised.

According to the same source, the perpetrator “is unknown” and fled.The case was forwarded to the Judiciary Police, the PSP said.

Drone finds missing man in the Algarve

The National Republican Guard (GNR) located an elderly man who had been missing since Tuesday, March 21, in Vila do Bispo, in the district of Faro. According to a statement shared on Facebook, the octogenarian man “was located with the support of the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) team, known as drones, and the use of kinesthetic binomials.”

The man was found conscious and did not require hospital treatment. The GNR warns that the disappearance of people “is a phenomenon to which the GNR has been particularly attentive, not only due to the effort made to allow the location of missing people, but above all to prevent this type of occurrence, raising awareness of the problem” 

British runner suffers attempted rape in Algarve

A British ultra-trail runner has described the horror she experienced after a man tried to rape her while she was training in the Algarve.

Alison Walker shared the tale of her horrific ordeal on her Instagram page, where she explained that a man ran out from behind some bushes and pushed her to the ground while running between Albufeira and Vilamoura. The man then tried to remove her shorts as the 36-year-old athlete offered up her valuables in a bid to stop him, she said. Coincidentally, her Garmin watch ended up playing a crucial role in stopping the attack, as its ‘crash alert’ (designed to alert close contacts in the case of an emergency, such as someone falling down) was activated when she was pushed to the ground.

In a desperate bid to scare off the attacker, Alison told him that her watch had alerted police, which led the man to flee while also stealing her watch. The Malaysian-born runner believes that the attack may have been “premeditated” as she spotted a piece of tarpaulin and a water bottle nearby. Alison was quick to praise the GNR.“The GNR were absolutely ace though, could not have faulted them. They were so quick and there were about 4-5 cars and vans and a cute dog to find the culprit. He’s still out and about so…,” wrote the athlete, who holds the record solo time for a 300km route called the Smog Graham Round which features the highest points in all 32 boroughs of London.

Alison has since published a new post on her Instagram page thanking everyone who has expressed their support.

“Running for me has been an outlet, and a (sic) bloody love running. To almost have that taken away is unthinkable,” she said.

Alison Walker advised runners to take care when training along the so-called “honey farm loop” and praised Portugal’s GNR police for their swift response.

And finally to end this report some news of a postponement of the Festival of the Sea in Albufeira. The third edition of “Albufeira SeaFest”, which was scheduled for the 28th to 30th of March, was postponed to the 4th, 5th and 6th of April, due to the weather conditions predicted by IPMA – Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera.

The event, which will take place again at Praça and Praia dos Pescadores, starts on April 4th (Thursday), at 3 pm, with artistic, recreational and educational activities aimed at younger people.

Inflatables, building using recycled materials, “Peixe Fred” (15h00), workshop “Learn to Recycle” (16h00), the Municipality’s educational program “Brincar Seguro Correndo Riscos” (17h00) and an aerobics class (18h00) These are the activities that are part of the program for the first day of the event.

Czech music starts at 6:00 p.m., with a concert by Quiassaca & Wavy, followed by Pachá, at 6:00 p.m., and Subtil, at 9:00 p.m. The night ends with the sound of Expensive Soul, who take the stage at 10:30 pm.

On the second day, April 5th, sport will be in the spotlight. At 9:00 am, the first surfing lesson takes place, at 10:30 am, there are skateboarding classes and sports workshops and at 11:00 am the Soul Dance Association takes place.

After lunch time, at 3:30 pm, there is an Inline demonstration and surfing activities on the sand. SkatePark, located in Praça dos Pescadores, once again hosts Inline Cash 4 Tricks (4:30 p.m.). The concerts start at 5:15 pm, with Don Lui. This is followed by Carlos Braga (18:00), Ehliu (19:00) and No time to Waste (21:00). Hybrid Theory tops the bill and debuts at Albufeira Sea Fest, at 10:30 pm.

Albufeira SeaFest ends on April 6th, with the GNR concert. The Portuguese pop rock band with over 40 years of career will perform at 10:30 pm, after names like Os Naira (6:00 pm), Daniel Vargas (7:00 pm) and Bem & The Pirates (9:00 pm).

The program includes activities such as the Construction of a Hotel for Insects (10:30 am), in partnership with the Butterfly Conservation Center of Portugal, “The Butterflies of Albufeira” (3:30 pm), Skate Cash 4 Tricks (4:30 pm), the painting class with Mary Barry (17:00), and much more.

The event is organised by the Municipality of Albufeira in partnership with the Parish Council of Albufeira and Olhos de Água and entry is free.

Have a safe and secure Easter break wherever you may be and if you are travelling please be careful.

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 27th March 2024

Good morning. We have experienced a very changeable week since our last weekly report starting with a massive dust storm originating from the Saharan Desert which moved into Europe. The storm reached the Spanish Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula, bringing hazy, orange skies. In Portugal, the Directorate-General of Health issued an air quality warning and recommended limiting time outdoors. In some of the affected areas, rain combined with dust caused orange-coloured “mud rain”. This was combined with temperatures well above average reaching 30C in the far north of the mainland, warmer than the Algarve.

All this changed overnight Monday/Tuesday with the arrival of a polar air mass resulting in a drop in temperatures in excess of 15C and on Tuesday the issue of various IPMA Weather warnings including for snow affecting 11 districts. Currently there are orange level warnings in place for 10 districts for rough seas. The ANEPC has issued warnings and has given advice regarding how to keep safe, which we shared. We emphasise the importance of following this advice, particularly avoiding getting to close to shorelines, where there are strong winds carrying beach debris that can be swept in high waves onto coastal roads/promenades etc.

With the abundance of snow and ice on roads in the centre and north please take particular care on the roads. The ANEPC has issued safety advice on this subject, which we have shared – please follow this in order to reduce accidents.

We would like to that Civil Protection Albufeira for organising the really excellent “Albufeira Civil Protection Knowledge Fair” held on 21st to 23rd March. This was well planned and the quality of the exhibits were first class. With a wide range of presentations including our own from Safe Communities, this was an excellent “learning opportunities” for local communities attending the Fair. There were many school groups of various ages, who visited the stands and good opportunity therefore for Safe Communities Portugal to explain our work to the younger generation.

Our next event will be on 6th April 2024 where we will be attending the Plant Fair being held at the Sao Bras Museu, in Sao Bras, from 1000 hrs to 1800 hrs. We are pleased to be invited to this as it comes at a time when those in rural areas need to clean land, the deadline being 30th April. We look forward therefore to meeting people and answering the various questions. I cannot emphasise the importance of land cleaning, especially in priority areas, where the fire risk is particularly high. Land cleaning is proven as one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of fires reaching your home.

A man and a woman of French nationality, aged 58 and 56 respectively, have been missing since this Sunday in Calhau, in São Vicente, Madeira. In addition there have been two tourists injured whilst walking, as well as two German tourists who lost their way yesterday in the mountains of São Vicente, North Coast. In this case the alert was given to the Volunteer Firefighters of São Vicente and Porto Moniz. The rescue was therefore carried out under wind and rain, but it was a third factor – the fog – that precipitated the disorientation of these two tourists, who were lost for approximately three hours. The German women were always in contact with the authorities, who located them using the GPS coordinates of their mobile devices. It is very important when trail walking to check the weather conditions and inform friends/relatives where you are going. This applies equally to the Azores where there haven similar incidents.

A reminder of our survey. As a resident of Portugal, we are exposed to the risk not only of wildfires, but also earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural hazards. These can have disastrous effects, causing massive losses and damage. While practitioners, such as national authorities at all levels, and non-governmental organizations and associations, are working together to minimize the impacts of these risks, these efforts to build a more resilient society are limited if the local population is not aware of and involved in disaster risk management.

To help with this a survey has been developed by Kirsten Cook, who has a background in wildfire preparedness, in which Safe Communities Portugal would like to learn about your concerns, level of preparedness, and ideas to become more aware and prepared for natural hazards. Please take a few minutes to fill in this survey and help us evaluate the readiness of residents of Portugal to cope with natural hazards and reducing the impacts of such disasters. The results will be shared with Civil Protection and made public. If you have not completed please kindly do so here: Please ONLY complete if you own or rent a property in Portugal

https://forms.gle/aaZQCCkL9Xf53Dgo9

Our team at Safe Communities wishes you a safe and enjoyable week ahead.

News

The year 2023 was the second hottest ever in Portugal according to the IPMA report

The year 2023 was the second hottest on record in Portugal, with seven heat waves occurring, according to the annual climate bulletin from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

According to the document released today, only the year 2022 was hotter than 2023, with last year the average annual air temperature reaching 16.59 °C (degrees Celsius), 1.04 °C higher than the normal value in 1981 -2010.

The average maximum air temperature was the second highest since 1931 and the minimum temperature was the ninth highest.

Heat waves occurred in spring (three), summer (also three) and autumn (one).

As for precipitation, the year 2023 had the ninth lowest value since 2000. The total annual precipitation, 735.8 millimetres, was lower than the normal value (1981-2010) with an anomaly of minus 105.7 millimetres.

In 2023, 30 new precipitation extremes were recorded, 13 monthly extremes in October and 17 daily extremes (January and October).

The year was also one of extremes in terms of high temperatures, with nine absolute daily extremes in August of maximum temperature, but also in the same month of August an absolute extreme of minimum temperature.

The year 2023 in mainland Portugal was classified, according to the IPMA document, as extremely hot in relation to air temperature and dry in relation to precipitation.

The winter on the continent was very warm in terms of air temperature and rainy in terms of precipitation. The spring was extremely hot and dry, being the second hottest spring since 1931 (only 1997 was hotter).

The summer was very hot in terms of air temperature and normal in terms of precipitation. It was the sixth hottest summer in the last 93 years. And the autumn was very warm and rainy, being the fourth warmest in the last 93 years and the new wettest.

Regarding drought, 30 to 40% of the territory was in severe and extreme drought between the months of April and August, covering the southern region.

More than 250 arrests between Friday and Monday in the PSP Easter operation

Lisbon, 26 March 2024 (Lusa) – The Public Security Police (PSP) made 264 arrests, 125 of which were for road crimes and 70 for driving under the influence of alcohol between Friday and Monday as part of “Operation Easter in safety”.

In a statement, the PSP said that of the 264 arrests, 55 were due to lack of driving license.

Since Friday, the day the operation began, and until Monday, 28 suspects were arrested for drug trafficking, with more than 3,607 individual doses seized. 16 arrests were also made for crimes against property (fraud, theft and robbery).

During that period, eight firearms and six bladed weapons were also seized, either as a precautionary measure or following the five arrests made for possession of prohibited weapons.

As part of the operation, the PSP inspected 10,731 drivers throughout the territory and controlled 23,431 by radar. Of these, 298 were speeding.

In total, 1,927 administrative offenses were recorded, of which 48 were for driving under the influence of alcohol, 205 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 70 for lack of civil liability insurance, 54 for using a cell phone while driving and 27 for not wearing a safety belt.

Regarding road accidents, between Friday and Monday, in the PSP’s area of ​​responsibility, 509 accidents were recorded, resulting in 148 minor injuries and seven serious injuries, with no fatalities recorded.

In the note, the PSP again appeals to citizens to drive safely, adapting their driving to the weather conditions and the characteristics of the road. Also remember that driving at excessive speed is one of the main causes of road accidents

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 20th March 2024

Plane bound for Colombia lands at Ponta Delgada airport due to medical emergency.

A plane from the airline Avianca, which was connecting Madrid (Spain) and Medellín (Colombia), landed in Ponta Delgada, island and São Miguel, due to a medical emergency that affected a passenger, company sources have said.

Flight AV17 was approximately six hours and forty minutes from its destination when it turned back and made an emergency landing on the island of São Miguel, so that the passenger could be assisted.

Avianca sources confirmed to the Efe agency that the diversion and landing were due to a medical emergency and had nothing to do with technical issues.

According to the same source, the pilot requested authorization to land ‘in the middle’ of the route, four hours after take-off in the Spanish capital, at 3 pm local time.

The Boeing 787 landed safely after quick authorization from the control tower at João Paulo II Airport, in Ponta Delgada.

Between 2018 and 2019, two Avianca planes had to make emergency landings in the Azores due to an alert in the electrical system and another medical emergency.

Ponta Delgada Hospital can now remotely monitor cardiology patients.

The Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES), in Ponta Delgada, now has technology that allows it to remotely monitor cardiology patients, revealed the institution, highlighting the importance of this innovation for users of islands without a hospital.

The ‘HeartLogic’ and ‘Heart Connect System’ tools, developed by Boston Scientific, allow remote monitoring of patients with heart failure and those with implantable cardiac devices (‘pacemaker’).

“This technology is particularly useful in an archipelagic like the Azores, where there are islands with only health centres without the possibility of face-to-face consultation following this type of surgery”, said cardiologist from the HDES arrhythmology department André Monteiro.

According to the clinician, with this technology travelling from one Island to another can be avoided. if the problem can be solved by remote counselling or hospital transfer can be quickly arranged, if something is identified that can only be resolved elsewhere.

‘HeartLogic’ technology enables continuous remote monitoring of patients with heart failure.

According to the hospital, by using physiological sensors in cardiac devices, this algorithm identifies patients at risk of cardiac decompensation and allows intervention by the medical team following the patient, in order to avoid hospitalization for heart failure, which is a recognized causes of increased mortality in the population.

PJ investigates attack on Cape Verdean citizen in the city of Horta.

The Judiciary Police are investigating an attack that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, next to a nightclub, in the city of Horta, on the island of Faial, against a man from Cape Verde, who is in a medically induced coma.

According to a police source, the man, around 50 years old, who works in the construction industry, was attacked outside a nightclub in circumstances still to be determined.

The Public Security Police (PSP) took charge of the incident, identified the people involved and forwarded the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which has already requested the participation of the Judiciary Police, which is investigating the case, but has not yet detained the suspect, he said. PSP font.

After the attack, the Faial Volunteer Firefighters were called to the scene and transported the victim to Horta Hospital, which even considered sending her to another health unit given the seriousness of her clinical condition.

According to a hospital source, medical evacuation did not occur, given the “reserved clinical condition” of the victim, who remains hospitalized at Hospital da Horta, in an induced coma.

Meanwhile, on social media, publications in support of the Cape Verdean citizen, who some consider having been a victim of “racial hatred”, are already multiplying, so much so that a vigil and demonstration are already scheduled for Tuesday, at 6pm. anti-racist protest in front of the Horta City Council building.

 

Portugal safety and security report Wednesday 20th March 2024

Good morning. Yesterday the World Meteorlogical Organisation (WMO) released its Report and it makes sombre reading.

The WMO warns that heat waves, floods, droughts, forest fires and the rapid intensification of tropical cyclones are sowing “misery and chaos”, disrupting the daily lives of millions of people and causing economic losses worth several billion dollars, warns the World Meteorological Organization. Record ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and retreating glaciers in 2023 culminated a decade that was the hottest ever, taking the planet “to the brink of the abyss”, the UN warned this Tuesday.

A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations agency, shows that records have been broken, and in some cases “pulverized,” in terms of greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, heat content and ocean acidification, sea level rise, extension of the Antarctic ice sheet and retreat of glaciers.

The planet is “on the verge of collapse” and “pollution caused by fossil fuels is causing unprecedented climate chaos”, warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “There is still time to throw a lifeline to people and the planet” said António Guterres, stating that it is necessary to act now.

The long-term increase in global temperature is due to the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which reached record levels in 2022. And she also left a warning: “The global meteorological community is warning the entire world and sounding the alarm: we are on red alert.” The full press release can be read here: https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/climate-change-indicators-reached-record-levels-2023-wmo

We are also in Portugal at present experiencing dust from the Sahara which will be us for at least well into the weekend. Although this is a moderately high concentration it is not close extreme levels we experienced in 2022 when the sky was almost orange in some places. We will continue to monitor.

Despite this Portugal is among the 20 countries in the world with the best air quality, according to a list released yesterday that analyses the air of 134 countries. The analysis, for 2023, is part of the 6th Annual Report on Air Quality in the World, carried out by IQAir, a Swiss technology organization whose mission is to empower people, organizations and governments to improve air quality. For the results now released, in some cases worrying, IQAir used data from 30,000 air quality monitoring stations in 7,812 locations in 134 countries, territories and regions. In last place, in position 134, comes Bangladesh, followed by Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso. You can read the full press release following this introduction.

For those of you in the Algarve I hope you are able to attend the Albufeira Civil Protection Knowledge Fair which is being held on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of March 2024.  There will be a diverse range of activities and will take place at the EMA – Espaço Multiusos de Albufeira, (next Lidl supermarket) from 10am to 7pm.

Safe Communities Portugal will be making a presentation of our work at the fair on Friday 22nd March at 2pm. This will be in English and I hope that you are able to attend. I can assure you that it will be an informative session with plenty of opportunity to ask questions.

In addition to the presentations those visiting have access to the Exhibition of Equipment and Resources for Civil Protection Agents and Cooperating Entities, the Virtual Risk Room, the Algarve Seismic and Tsunami Risk Study Simulator, the Crash Simulator for Children and Young people, Tornado and Volcano Simulator and visiting the GNR Cavalry. Highlighted is the possibility of participating in various screenings and awareness-raising actions, namely on smoking cessation, blood pressure, blood glucose and oximetry, oral health, diabetes, prevention, bathing safety, rescue and relief, awareness-raising action on the Asian mosquito, prevention accidents, first aid, reading labels, among others.

So you can see there are good reasons to attend.

Our team look forward to meeting you at the event.

News.

2023 World Air Quality Report

Steinach, Switzerland, March 19, 2024 (Lusa) – Portugal is among the 20 countries in the world with the best air quality, according to a list released today that analyses the air of 134 countries.

The analysis, for 2023, is part of the 6th Annual Report on Air Quality in the World, carried out by IQAir, a Swiss technology organization whose mission is to empower people, organizations and governments to improve air quality.

For the results now released, in some cases worrying, IQAir used data from 30,000 air quality monitoring stations in 7,812 locations in 134 countries, territories and regions.

In last place, in position 134, comes Bangladesh, followed by Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso.

To prepare the list, the organization’s main indicator is the so-called fine particles (PM2.5), measured in micrograms per cubic meter. They are linked in particular to combustion engines and have significant impacts on human health.

According to the report, Bangladesh had 79.9 micrograms per cubic meter of annual average, more than 15 times higher than that approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends a maximum of five micrograms.

In the European Union, the maximum permitted levels are 25 micrograms.

On the map of countries, on a colour scale where the best positions are in green, there are more than 90 with a less good classification.

Russia (10 micrograms, in position 94) is the first nation in green, followed by others such as Spain (9.9 micrograms), France in position 99 (9.5 micrograms), and the United Kingdom (7 .7 micrograms). Portugal, in position 118, accounts for 6.8 micrograms.

The best classification goes to French Polynesia, in place 134, with 3.2 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter.

This means that only 16 countries/regions have better air than Portugal, in the list now released.

By capital cities, New Delhi, in India, is the most polluted, followed by Dhaka, in Bangladesh, and Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso. Rome, Berlin and Paris are on the yellow list and Lisbon appears on the green list, ahead of other green capitals such as London, Madrid, Copenhagen or Luxembourg.

San Juan (Puerto Rico) appears as the least polluted, followed by Wellington, Canberra and Reykjavik.

If only the European continent is taken into account (represented by 2,006 cities in 43 countries), Bosnia-Herzegovina appears as the most polluted country, while the least polluted is Iceland (average concentration of 04 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air). In Europe Portugal is in 37th place out of 43 (1 being the best and 43 being the worst), just behind Iceland, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Ireland.

In terms of European cities, last year only 7% (135) reached the WHO values, including all cities in Iceland. Cities in Portugal are classified as green, but not at the value recommended by the WHO.

Among the main conclusions of the global report, it is highlighted that only seven countries complied with the WHO’s annual directive (Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand), that a third of the population in Africa does not have access to data on air quality, that PM2.5 concentrations have increased in almost all Southeast Asian countries, and that the 10 most polluted cities in the world are in Asia.

Begusarai, India, was the most polluted metropolitan area of ​​2023, with India being the country of the four most polluted cities in the world.

The European Union should soon have a new law on the matter, and a new directive on ambient air quality should be voted on in April by the European Parliament.

Air pollution is responsible for around 300,000 premature deaths per year in Europe, making it the main environmental threat to health, warns the European environmental organization EEB.

It contributes, he says, to health problems that include heart attacks, strokes, respiratory diseases, diabetes, dementia, cancer and delays in children’s cognitive development.

 

The Algarve Report Wednesday 20th March 2024

by Mike Evans

A very good day to you all and we start this report with the latest in the water situation in the Algarve, or the lack of it!

Despite the region enjoying a small amount of rain that fell in the first week of this month, the dams and reservoir  levels in the Algarve remain low, dangerously low . In fact there are some who fear that the tourism market will be affected if things don’t improve. Despite waking up late to a problem that had been predicted and announced for years, authorities – national, regional and local -, businesspeople and their associations, are already taking measures to ensure water savings and more efficient water management. , at least as far as urban consumption is concerned. Applications from the municipalities of Tavira, Olhão and Alcoutim have already been approved, within the scope of Measure SM1 – Reducing Water Losses in the Urban Sector, included in the Recovery and Resilience (PRR), announced the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL).

The three applications represent a total investment of €6,576,166.88 and concern “the renewal of sections of pipelines with high levels of real water losses”.

The works to be carried out will allow the municipalities to obtain significant values ​​of water efficiency, as they will rehabilitate 32.5 kilometres of network, allowing a reduction of 281,465 m3/year in the volume of real losses», according to  AMAL.

With these three Notices, a total of 33 applications have been approved in 13 Algarve municipalities, corresponding to 25.83 million euros and 95 contracts and acquisition of services, and, in the vast majority of cases, the works are already underway.

The applications presented are analysed and approved by a Management Committee, which includes elements from the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL), the Administration of the Algarve Hydrographic Region – Portuguese Environment Agency (ARH-Algarve/ APA) and the University of Algarve.

Another initiative recently launched by the Algarve Tourism sector is a scheme to offer accommodation suppliers a “Save Water” certificate. The objective is to promote water savings in hotels and in the tourism sector in general, offering, in return, a seal that recognizes the effort and contribution of companies to the regional goal of reducing water consumption in the region by 15%. urban sector.

The “Save Water” seal, which will attest that tourist companies in the Algarve are playing their role in the fight against water waste and in favour of the efficient use of this precious resource, was presented this Monday, March 18th, at the headquarters of the Algarve Tourism Region, in Faro, in a session attended by Nuno Fazenda, Secretary of State for Tourism.

To obtain the seal and the water efficiency certification it confers, partner companies commit to adopting, in a phased manner, 30 water saving measures, from a list of 60. If companies have already implemented measures included in the list, they can be included in the action plan, albeit with limitations.

According to André Gomes, president of Turismo do Algarve, what is at stake are «water efficiency measures that were worked on in a very pressing way, both from a technical point of view – here with a great contribution from the Energy Agency (Adene) – , or with sector representatives. Tourist accommodation companies have been involved since December, in many hours of working meetings with Adene, the partner association of Turismo do Algarve and Turismo de Portugal in this program.

At issue are water efficiency measures linked to devices (taps, shower heads and others), alternative sources, irrigation, swimming pools, equipment, cleaning, behaviour and management and maintenance.

The 60 measures are divided into priority ones, which are those that “can give results in a more pressing and more immediate way”, which are 18 in total, and structuring ones (42), which are “those that will take longer to be implemented», according to André Gomes.

The latter, as they are more complex, are also those for which support mechanisms were created, to a large extent, by Turismo de Portugal to help companies.

This support is divided into two lines, according to Carlos Abade, president of Turismo de Portugal: one dedicated exclusively to the Algarve, with an allocation of 10 million euros, and another nationwide, with 50 million euros, but which has extra advantages for companies that implement projects to promote water efficiency in the Algarve.

Exclusively for projects to be implemented in the Algarve region, the “+ Algarve Water Efficiency” line was created, to which micro, small and medium-sized companies can apply, as long as they are hotel establishments, rural tourism establishments or campsites and of caravanning.

In this line, which will be open continuously from April 1st until the grant ends, each company can submit an application with a maximum value of 50 thousand euros, benefiting from 50% non-refundable support.

Let’s hope that these and other initiatives are enough to make sure tourism is not affected over the summer season.

Now a look at some of the other news around the region.

GNR seized hundreds of doses of cocaine and heroin

Hundreds of doses of cocaine and heroin and weapons were seized in the Algarve by the GNR, between the 11th and 17th of March, in actions carried out in different parts of the Algarve, this security force revealed.

According to the most recent weekly report on the operation of the Faro Territorial Command of the GNR, last week 47 people were arrested, 13 for driving without a legal licence, 12 for driving under the influence of alcohol and two for drug trafficking.

In total, 386 doses of cocaine, 162 doses of heroin, a revolver, a pistol, a knife and various ammunition were seized.

In the traffic inspection, 596 infractions were detected, of which the GNR points out that 193 were due to speeding, 61 related to anomalies in the lighting and signalling systems, 55 due to lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 28 due to improper use of the cell phone during the exercise. driving, 14 due to lack of or incorrect use of a seat belt and/or child restraint system and seven due to lack of civil liability insurance.

In terms of accident rates, there were 124 accidents, resulting in one serious injury and 28 minor injuries.

PSP makes a number of Arrests across the Region.

Eight people were arrested by the PSP, for the crimes of possession of a prohibited weapon, resistance and coercion, metal theft, disobedience, damage, driving without a legal licence and driving while drunk, in the cities of Faro, Portimão, Olhão , Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António.

According to the District Command of the PSP of Faro, two of these arrests stand out, which occurred in the city centre of Faro, following preventive policing actions focused on that area of ​​the city.

In this context, a suspect was approached who was carrying a bladed weapon, according to him for defence in case of need, and was detained and the weapon seized.

At another point, while identifying a suspect for selling drugs to passers-by, he tried to escape, attacking a police officer, for which he was immediately arrested.

On the other hand, in the city of Tavira, a 37-year-old suspect was arrested for stealing copper wire.

This arrest occurred following a call reporting a possible theft in progress at a construction site. According to the PSP, “the rapid mobilisation of police resources allowed the suspect to be intercepted, as he was preparing to leave the scene, with around 6.5 kilos of stolen copper wire in his possession”.

In the last 48 hours, during road inspection actions, three arrests were made for driving without a legal licence and one arrest under the influence of alcohol. 

Fire consumes warehouse in Moncarapacho

A fire consumed a warehouse with civil construction materials located in Moncarapacho, in the municipality of Olhão, this morning, with no injuries reported , a Civil Protection source told Lusa. The alert was given at 00:29 for a fire at a construction site.

“A warehouse with construction material burned down, with no injuries reported,” explained a source from the Algarve Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command .

During the early hours of the morning, until 7:00 am, the incident mobilised 20 firefighters and GNR operatives, with the support of 10 vehicles.

Man detained in Portimão in possession of two knives and an axe

The PSP arrested a man on Wednesday, March 13, in Portimão for possession of a prohibited weapon, the police force said on Thursday.

The arrest occurred following “a call for disorder”, in which a man allegedly wielded a knife, according to details from the PSP.

Police resources were mobilised and, upon arriving at the scene, they identified the suspect. Two large knives and an axe were detected in his possession, which he claimed were for “self-defence”. The suspect was immediately arrested and the weapons seized, and was presented to the judicial authorities this Thursday.

Judiciary Police arrested rapist on the run

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested, this Thursday, March 14th, in Loulé , a 46-year-old man, in compliance with an arrest warrant issued by the Judicial Court of Faro, following a sentence of 5 years. and 6 months for committing a crime of rape.

The man was present for judicial interrogation, and the most serious measure of coercion was applied to him, preventive detention, which would be changed during the investigation phase to “obligation to remain in the residence subject to electronic surveillance”. The individual disregarded the measure, beginning a long period of escape that ended this Thursday, with his location and detention in the municipality of Loulé.

The detainee will be brought before the judicial authority to execute the preventive detention measure.

And finally we bring you a warning from the PSP!

The PSP have launched an alert on social media about a fraud scheme related to the purchase and sale of cars, on online platforms. This scheme, which has been gaining ground, is based on the cloning of legitimate vehicle sales advertisements.

According to the PSP Lisbon Metropolitan Command, the fraudster’s modus operandi consists of copying vehicle sale advertisements, deceiving both the real seller and potential buyers. The criminal selects ads on popular platforms such as OLX, Facebook and Standvirtual and contacts advertisers, trying to obtain as much information about the vehicle in question.

Subsequently, the fraudster replicates the advertisement, using the same photos and characteristics of the vehicle, but with a sales price considerably lower than the actual value. This tactic aims to attract potential buyers by offering an attractive price.

The next step is to request that payment be made by bank transfer, indicating a NIB associated with an account controlled by the criminal. Once the transfer has been made, there is an intermediary who receives the money into your bank account and immediately withdraws the amount in cash. This intermediary receives a 20% commission on the amount transferred, while the rest is handed over to those truly responsible for the fraud.

This type of fraud has been worrying the authorities, due to its increasing incidence and the damage it causes to both legitimate sellers and potential buyers. The PSP advises users of online platforms to be alert to this type of scheme, carefully checking the legitimacy of the advertisements and avoiding making advance payments by bank transfer.

In the event of any suspicion of fraud, the PSP recommends that citizens contact the authorities immediately, in order to prevent more people from becoming victims of this type of crime.

Have a good week until the next time Stay Safe/.