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Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 5 March 2025

by Mike Evans

As we start the period of Lent and finish the festivities of Carnaval it is interesting to note that these few days have created a lot of crimes across the country. While we do not have actual numbers for the Algarve and as I write this report the carnivals are still happening across the region, the early statistics from the PSP show a nationwide crime spree which is not to be proud of.

The PSP police have made a total of 723 arrests across the country, over the course of eight days, following the “Operação Polícia Sempre Presente – Carnaval em Segurança 2025″. Of these arrests, 283 people were arrested for road crimes, “namely 138 for driving a vehicle while drunk and 144 for lack of legal qualification to drive”, reads the statement. 51 citizens were also arrested for crimes, thefts and robberies and 76 people on suspicion of drug trafficking, the same statement added. The PSP seized 24,100 individual doses of various drugs, as well as 43 firearms and 29 bladed weapons, around 17 thousand pyrotechnic articles and 33 kilos of explosive content.

Regarding road safety, the PSP adds that 17,017 drivers were inspected and 52,180 vehicles were controlled by radar, with 5,539 violations of road legislation being detected. “Of the traffic offenses detected, 609 stand out for speeding, 558 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 193 for lack of mandatory civil liability insurance, 119 for using a mobile phone while driving, 93 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 50 for lack of or incorrect use of seat belts”.

In eight days of the “Carnival in Safety 2025” operation, the PSP recorded 1,177 accidents, resulting in 358 injuries – 15 serious injuries and 343 minor injuries – and four deaths. This during what is supposed to be a celebratory time! All we can hope is that the next couple of days of Carnival don’t add too many more crimes to these statistics.

Now a look at some of the other stories from around the region in the past week.

Pre-trial Detention for Suspect of Theft of Safe during Fire

A 46-year-old woman, arrested last Tuesday on suspicion of stealing a safe during a fire that occurred in January at a residence in Quarteira , will await trial in preventive detention, the GNR reported .

In a statement, the GNR’s Faro Territorial Command indicated that the arrest resulted from an investigation “for theft” initiated in January by the Criminal Investigation Unit (NIC) of Loulé. The defendant is suspected of having stolen a safe containing money during a fire in the home of an 89-year-old woman in Quarteira, in the municipality of Loulé, the note reads.

The suspect was heard in the first judicial interrogation at the Court of Loulé, and was ordered to be held in preventive detention, the most serious coercive measure.

Work on the Algarve Dam to Begin Soon

According to The Portugal News, Modernisation works at the Bravura Dam, in the Algarve, will begin in the coming weeks to prevent current water leaks, which will improve the supply and counter the shortage of water in the region. The works are expected to begin in the first half of 2025 after the public tender for the project was closed last week, which foresees an initial investment of 11.2 million euros until 2026. “It is a project worth 11 million and 200 thousand euros, plus VAT, and is supported by the RRP [Recovery and Resilience Plan] funds. Therefore, it is a work that will begin, still in the first half of the year, and that will be completed during the year 2026”, António Marreiros, president of the Alvor Irrigators and Beneficiaries Association (ARBA), told Lusa.

The Bravura dam, the second in Portugal with the lowest levels of capacity by percentage, had at the beginning of this week only 17% of its total capacity, that is, 5,819 of the 34,825 cubic decameters of maximum limit, according to the weekly bulletin of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) on the water availability of Portuguese dams.

Also known as the Odiáxere Dam, the structure is located in Lagos, in the Faro district, and was designed in 1955 and began operating in 1958. The project to modernise the Alvor irrigation perimeter will have two phases, the first of which will begin after choosing the company that will build a pumping station and a filtering station, with a reservoir with a capacity to store water for two days, as well as a section of the future main pipeline.

This first phase will be completed in 2026 and in the same year, a second phase will begin, the financing amount of which has not yet been defined, which foresees the pressurization of the entire irrigated perimeter.

“Yes, we are always dependent on rain, but water management and water economics will be totally different. With the modernized perimeter, with pressuriSation, we will eliminate leaks and water losses by more than 90%”, assured Antonio Marreiros.

“In order to have some water available for farmers, we need to reach eight thousand cubic decameters. We are still a little short, according to our contingency plan, so that water can be supplied to farmers,” he stressed.

Antonio Marreiros recalled that, due to the drought situation, in the last two years the water in the dam has been at very low levels and has only been used for public supply: “Our farmers spent two years without water to grow crops, both seasonal and permanent crops”.

The dam was initially built for agricultural purposes, but now it also serves public consumption needs, which includes the tourism sector, where large hotel villages and golf courses are located. “The fact is that consumption has doubled in the last 30 years. The population of the Algarve was perhaps less than 400 thousand and I think at the moment it is around 600, 700 thousand. And another situation, in the past, there were less than 100 tourist enterprises, and now  there are thousands”, warned the farmer.

The Algarve is experiencing a drought, but currently, after the rains that fell last November, it now has water in its six dams that can supply all types of consumers for more than a year.

Thousands of Doses of Drugs Seized by Algarve Police

Between the 17th and 23rd of February, the GNR’s Faro Territorial Command carried out a series of operations in the district of Faro, with the aim of preventing and combating violent crime, as well as monitoring traffic. During this period, 83 arrests were recorded, drugs and money were seized, and 766 traffic violations were recorded.

Of those Arrested, 27 individuals were arrested for driving without a legal license and 22 for driving under the influence of alcohol. There was also an arrest for drug trafficking.

Regarding the seizures, 8,600 doses of hashish and 44 doses of cocaine were confiscated. In addition to the drugs, a sum of cash worth 34,155 euros were also seized.

As part of traffic control, 766 infractions were detected, of which 208 were for speeding, 102 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection and 55 for anomalies in the lighting and signalling systems. There were also 30 infractions recorded for lack of civil liability insurance, 20 for improper use of cell phones while driving and 15 for lack of or incorrect use of seat belts and/or child restraint systems. With regard to traffic accidents, during the week analysed there were 107 accidents, which resulted in two serious injuries and 17 minor injuries.

Rail traffic restored on the Algarve Line

Railway traffic on the Algarve Line has been re-established after being interrupted due to the accident that resulted in a fatality in the municipality of Faro, according to Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP). Train circulation between the municipalities of Faro and Olhão was reestablished at around 12:00, in both directions, after the work to clear the track was completed by the Civil Protection authorities, the source specified.

The same source added that the accident occurred near a level crossing, in the municipality of Faro, and an investigation was opened to “determine the causes of the accident”.

A source from the Algarve Regional Command of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) told Lusa that the alert was given at 09:13, with the accident having occurred in the Areal Gordo/Salgados area, in the municipality of Faro.

Man Arrested in Portimao for Sexual Abuse of Teenager

Portimão police have arrested a 45 year old man on suspicion of sexual abuse of a teenager for several weeks, at the end of last year. The young woman only reported what had happened recently, because she was frightened and felt ashamed. “The incidents began and continued inside the suspect’s home, taking advantage of a relationship with the girl’s parent and so living with the teenager,” says the Judicial Police statement released today.

According to the police statement , the sexual acts were carried out repeatedly, taking place over several weeks and always happened when the suspect and teenager were alone, in one of the rooms in the house, away from the eyes of the rest of the family”.

Where will the Speed Cameras Be in March?

Radars in the Algarve, In the Algarve, radars will be active in several strategic locations and times, including:

March 7th, 10:00 am – Palmeira Mill Road, Faro;

March 11th , 8:00 am – Red Cross Street, Tavira;

March 18th , 9:00 am – V6 Avenue, Portimão;

March 19 , 9:00 am – National Road 125, Lagos;

March 19th , 7:00 pm – Gordinho Moreira Avenue, Faro;

March 20th , 9:00 am – Castro Marim Avenue, Vila Real de Santo António;

March 21st , 9:00 am – V2 Avenue, Portimão;

March 24 , 4:00 pm – National Road 125, Lagos;

March 24th , 10:00 pm – V6 Avenue, Portimão;

March 24th , 9:00 am – Heroes of 1808 Avenue, Olhão;

March 26th , 9:00 am – V6 Avenue, Portimão;

March 27th , 9:00 am – Heroes of 1808 Avenue, Olhão;

Have a safe Week, Until the next time…

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 26 February 2025

by Mike Evans

Good Day to you all. I start this report with some information which could affect many of our followers and subscribers as members of the foreign community in Portugal. This week the government announced a shake up of the health service with the announcement that People with inactive registration at health centres because they have not attended for five years will be reactivated in April, but emigrants and foreigners without appointments during that period will lose their family doctor in Portugal. Now while many foreign residents have private health insurance there are many who do not because they cannot afford it or have lived here for many years and have used the National Health Service since arriving into the country.

This change is the result of the publication, in December and January, of legislation that will come into force in April and that defines the rules for organising and managing the National User Registry (RNU) and registration in primary health care.

In recent years, users of the National Health System (SNS) who had not used the system for five or more years had their primary care registration deactivated, being classified as “non-users”. In addition to inactive primary care registration, these users also lost their family doctor. In January, the publication of another dispatch (40/2025), which also comes into force in April, determined that the update of the primary healthcare lists would take into account the new registration types.

This diploma defined that foreign residents and non-resident nationals and foreigners, registered with a family doctor but without a record of medical consultation in primary health care in the last five years, become “eligible for reformulation of the family doctor assignment”, that is, they lose the current one. So the advice we can offer anyone who is concerned about this new law is to get an appointment with your doctor in order to stay under his or her tutelage.

Now a look at some of the other issues and stories from around the region in the past week.

Truck Overturned Cutting Off the A22 in Portimão

On Monday morning, a truck carrying water bottles overturned on the A22 in Portimão, causing one minor injury. The road was closed in the Portimão-Lagos direction.

The accident happened shortly after half past eight in the morning, at kilometer 20 of the A22, close to the exit for Alvor. The driver, aged around 60, suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene and taken to Portimão hospital, reported Correio da Manhã.

During the work to clear this section of the motorway, traffic was interrupted. The heavy vehicle involved in the accident was removed with the help of a crane truck and left the site at around 1pm. Firefighters from Portimão, INEM, GNR and members of the Via do Infante concessionaire were at the scene.

Man Dies After Being Run Over by Train in Faro

A 70-year-old man died last Sunday afternoon in Faro after being hit by a train while crossing the Pontes de Marchil level crossing.

According to Jornal de Notícias , the circumstances of the incident are unknown at this time, and the line has now been cleared and train circulation has resumed .

The Faro Firefighters, the National Emergency Service (INEM), the GNR and the company Infraestruturas de Portugal were on site. This operation involved seven vehicles and 16 personnel.

 Man Arrested in Faro for Drug Trafficking

The Faro PSP District Command informs that it arrested a 58-year-old suspect for drug trafficking, through its Faro Criminal Investigation Squad.

Aware of the social disruption caused by the crime of drug trafficking in the areas where it occurs, this Command and its various subunits have undertaken a permanent effort to combat it, both in the scope of investigation and in the development of preventive police interventions in areas where there is information about its potential occurrence.

Last week, and as a result of yet another preventive police intervention, carried out by the Faro Criminal Investigation Squad, in the same city, a suspect was detected with movements typical of the practice of this crime , having been promptly approached by the police officers involved.

After this approach, it was found that he was in possession of approximately 136 individual doses of heroin, which he immediately assumed were intended for sale to consumers, and was therefore arrested.

The PSP expects the suspect to be presented in court for the first judicial interrogation and application of the coercive measures considered appropriate.

Carnival Week Across the Region Here is Where to Watch!

Its Carnival Week Across the Region Here is a breakdown of all the carnival activities happening across the region.

Portimão once again celebrates Carnival with a series of initiatives ranging from dances to matinées and parades to allegorical processions, promising to entertain everyone, as this is a festival with a profoundly popular nature.

This year, under the theme “ Sustainability ”, the Portimão Carnival is inspired by the adoption of responsible consumption, which allows human needs to be satisfied both in the present and in the future, which sets the tone for the party and in which 13 floats and nine carnival groups will participate, with lots of music and fun.

On February 28th, between 10:00 and 11:30, the grand opening parade of the carnival program will take place, with the participation of children from the municipality’s schools and Bomboémia – Percussion Group of the University of Minho, with the gathering scheduled for Praça da República and passing through Rua Direita towards Largo 1º de Maio. On March 4th, at 3pm, the Float Parade will take place in the Portimão Riverside Area, featuring 13 vehicles decorated with themes alluding to sustainability and featuring the participation of nine groups. The highlight will be on Shrove Tuesday, on the banks of the Arade River, with a parade marked by lots of music, colour and entertainment, which promises to be a party centred on the spontaneity of local associations, which will bring life and energy to the traditions of Shrove Tuesday.

To add more rhythm to the party, Portimão will host the fourth edition of Percussion Days from February 28th to March 2nd, whose diverse programme, which includes several live performances in emblematic public spaces in the city,

On March 2nd and 4th, the parish of Ferreiras will host another edition of the Trapalhão Carnival. This year, the event will take place under the theme “Futuristic Carnival”.

The parade will take place on Avenida 12 de Julho between 2pm and 5pm and will feature floats, themed costumes and performances inspired by the future. The initiative involves local associations, sports clubs and guest artists .

Scheduled activities include traveling presentations, live music and a competition to award the best floats and groups on foot.

In addition to the presence of a samba school, entertainment is guaranteed with Ban’Dalila, Circo Dallas, Satori Association, Al-Fanfarre, Futebol Clube de Ferreiras, Nuclegarve, Amigos de Ferreiras, Amigos da Guia, Amigos de Albufeira and, of course, everyone who wants to join the party.

For Jorge Carmo, president of the Ferreiras Parish Council, “Carnaval Trapalhão is an event that involves the community and promotes local traditions, once again placing Ferreiras as a destination worth visiting at this time of year.” The event, with free entry, is organized by the Parish Council of Ferreiras, with the support of Albufeira City Council and local businesses.

The municipality of Albufeira celebrates Carnival in style. For several days there will be children’s parades, dances , costume competitions and floats in all the parishes of the municipality.

OnFebruary 25th, the school parade “Sport for All!” will take place, starting at 3:30 pm, on Avenida dos Descobrimentos. On Friday, the 28th, the Guia Children’s Parade will take place under the motto “The best sport is here”, between 10:00 and 11:00, next to the local Sports Centre. On March 1st, from 2:30 pm, Carnaval Trapalhão returns to downtown Albufeira to welcome the revelers who dress up every year to celebrate the most fun time of the year.

This is followed by the Carnival Ball at EMA, on the 1st, 3rd and 4th of March, starting at 8pm, except for the 4th which starts at 2pm.

This year, the Paderne Carnival features nine floats that celebrate the history and culture of the local people, which are joined by groups of revelers who parade through the streets of the parish on March 1st, from 7:00 pm, and on Shrove Tuesday, the 4th, from 3:00 pm.

Faro is about to host the traditional Carnival parade of the city’s schools and institutions, which will take place on February 27th (Thursday). The event, which promises to liven up the city’s main streets, will be attended by hundreds of children, with a gathering at Jardim Manuel Bivar at 10:00 am. The participants will walk through the city centre towards Praça da Pontinha, passing through Rua de Santo António.

Without a set theme, children will be free to let their imaginations run wild and choose their favourite costumes. 2,292 young party-goers are expected to take part, attending the following educational institutions in the municipality: EB1 S. Luís; EB1 Bom João; EB1/JI Carmo; EB1 Alto Rode; Ria Formosa Primary School ; EB1 Vale Carneiros; Aboim Ascensão Refuge; Arco-Íris Association; Casa de Santa Isabel; Santa Casa da Misericórdia Children’s Centre; O Relógio Nursery, Kindergarten and 1st Cycle; Nossa Senhora de Fátima Children’s Wellbeing Centre – CASCD Faro; Faro Hospital Children’s Centre and Cooppofa Children’s Centre.

The Loulé Carnival will play with a serious theme. The problems of water shortages in the Algarve region are the inspiration for the 2025 parade, which will take place on March 2, 3 and 4, on Avenida José da Costa Mealha.

“Carnival is not boring…” is the motto of yet another edition of the oldest Carnival in the country, which brings to the streets 15 floats, around 600 entertainers, samba schools , animation groups, big heads, giants, political and social satire and, above all, lots of fun.

The local authority is once again betting on the projection of Carnival as a “tool to raise public awareness of a topic of interest, alerting and promoting responsible and conscious behaviour”. The parade will take place over the three days between 3pm and 6pm. Tickets cost two euros and all proceeds will be distributed to social causes and to participating groups representing local communities.

The local authority states that the organization is organizing an entertainment program parallel to the parade for the Carnival days, which, in addition to a series of sporting activities, will also include the traditional Gala Ball, on the evening of Monday, March 3, at the Loulé Party Room.

NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY AUTHORITY WARN AGAINST A NEW SCAM WHICH ASKS YOU TO PAY A €120 FINE

The National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) has issued a warning about a new email fraud attempt that is circulating, associated with the payment of a €120 fine.

The ANSR say that it does not send fine notifications via email and asks the public to be aware of possible fraudulent schemes.

According to ANSR, recipients of these email messages are informed that they have been fined €120 euros for a traffic violation and are requested to make payment via a link included in the email. However, this is a ‘phishing’ scheme, used to steal users’ personal details and banking details. The emails associated with this fraud look very official and state that the fine must be paid by the end of February. The sender of the email message uses a false identity and includes a link that redirects victims to a fraudulent website, where they are asked to enter banking information.

The ANSR stresses that it never sends fine notifications by email and that all official communications are made by physical mail.  Therefore, it warns drivers not to click on any links included in these emails and not to make any payments through the resulting pages.

Anyone who receives one of these fraudulent messages should report it to the police.

You can always check the credibility of an email sender before opening any suspicious message, for instance they often have a strange email address, made up of random combinations of letters and numbers, often associated with foreign website domains. Many of these fraudulent emails contain grammatical and spelling errors, which may indicate that it is not an official communication.

To avoid falling victim to ‘phishing’ schemes, such as this fraud involving the payment of fines, experts recommend not providing personal or banking details on unverified pages and always be suspicious of messages that call for urgent action, such as immediate payment of an amount.

Until the next time Stay Safe..

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 19th February 2025

by Mike Evans

 Very good day to you all on what is turning out to be a rather strange week of weather and other meteorological happenings. Yesterday An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale was felt in Greater Lisbon. The epicentre of the earthquake was recorded around 14 kilometres west-southwest of Seixal, in the district of Setúbal, and at a depth of seven kilometres, revealed the IPMA.

The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reports that the magnitude was 4.8, while the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) indicates that the earthquake was 4.7. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the tremor was also felt in some areas of the Alentejo coast, such as Sines, Vila Nova de Santo André, Santiago do Cacém and Vila Nova de Milfontes, and in the Algarve, in Faro, Lagos, Portimão and Quarteira.According to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), no personal or material damage has been reported as a result of the earthquake.

In addition, Faro and nine other districts on the mainland will be under a yellow warning on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 18th and 19th, due to the forecast of strong sea agitation, according to the warning issued by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). The yellow warning indicates a risk for certain activities dependent on the meteorological situation.

The warning will be in force between 9:00 am on Tuesday and 12:00 pm on Wednesday for the districts of Faro , Setúbal, Lisbon, Leiria and Beja.

To top it all we can expect more rain for the next few days as well. Now a look at some of the other stories that have happened in the past week.

PJ Dismantles Organized Crime Group in the Algarve

The Judicial Police, through the Southern Directorate, carried out a police operation, in which it arrested five suspects of committing the crimes of qualified fraud, money laundering and document forgery, in the automobile and boat trade sector, in the Algarve, whose total value of the frauds already exceeds one million euros.

According to the PJ, in operation “Gatsby” 12 house searches and three non-house searches were also carried out; two properties located in the Algarve were seized; three high-end vehicles; around 25 thousand euros in cash; in addition to computer and telecommunications equipment, documentation and other evidence.

During the investigations that began in 2024, several firearms, ammunition and narcotics (heroin and cocaine) were also located and seized.

“The issue at stake is the investigation of an organized group that, persistently and repeatedly, has been committing criminal offenses in different areas, in order to obtain illegitimate enrichment that allows it to sustain the luxurious standard of living it boasts, incompatible with the lawful income it is known to have,” details the PJ in a statement. According to information from the PJ, the suspects’ actions involved setting up “front” companies, strategically placed in the name of third parties, “in order to hide the actions and identity of the true beneficiaries, highlighting the frequent use of forgeries with the collaboration of individuals specialized in this type of crime”.

In the situations under investigation, in addition to the suspicion of fraudulently obtaining credit from banking institutions and defrauding insurance companies, “the suspects proposed to the victims various deals involving the import of high-end vehicles, as well as some boats”. They received from the victims “large sums as part of the payment, but the deals ended up not being completed, thus allowing them to misappropriate amounts exceeding 450 thousand euros”, the note continues.

According to the PJ, there are reports of episodes of coercion and threats against victims so that they would not file a complaint.

The detainees, Portuguese and foreign, between 30 and 36 years old, residing in the Lisbon and Algarve region, will be presented for the first judicial interrogation with a view to the application of coercive measures. The investigation is headed by the DIAP of Loulé.

Maritime Police Seize More Than Half a Ton of Fish in Tavira

Members of the Tavira Maritime Police Local Command seized 575 kilos of fish in the early hours of February 10 during an inspection operation carried out at the Tavira Fishing Port .

During the operation, members of the Maritime Police intercepted three fishing vessels that were illegally fleeing the fish market, and identified six suspects. Subsequently, the respective reports were drawn up and, as a precautionary measure, the fish was seized and sold at the fish market, “with the proceeds going to the proceedings”.

According to the National Maritime Authority ( AMN ), four members of the Tavira Maritime Police Local Command were involved, supported by two vehicles and a vessel.

The local command of the Tavira Maritime Police took charge of the incident.

41-year-old Man Arrested for Child Sexual Abuse

The Judicial Police ( PJ ) arrested, yesterday 17th February, a 41-year-old man indicted for committing several aggravated crimes of child sexual abuse, committed against two minors in his family circle.

“The abusive behavior always took place in an environment completely controlled by the suspect, especially inside his home, when the children visited,” the PJ reported in a statement.

Following the investigations carried out by the Southern Directorate of the PJ, evidence was collected, namely reports from one of the minors, alluding to episodes of sexual assault committed by the suspect.

As a result of the investigation work, an arrest warrant was issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The detainee will be brought before the competent judicial authorities today, Tuesday, for the purposes of the first judicial interrogation and application of coercive measures.

The investigation is led by the 1st Section of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Prosecution of Faro .

Faro Municipality Acquires Urban Fire-fighting Vehicle

The municipality of Faro awarded, last Tuesday, February 11, the acquisition of a new urban fire-fighting vehicle, to be incorporated into the municipal fleet. The investment, with a global value of 484 thousand euros, was awarded to Sociedade Jacinto Marques de Oliveira.

The vehicle, designed to operate in urban, technological or industrial areas, is “essential” for reconnaissance and rapid rescue operations, especially in “difficult-to-access areas”, such as the historic areas of the city of Faro or Faro Island. At the same time, the vehicle will be equipped with a fire service pump and extinguishing agent tank.

The local authority is also holding a competition to recruit 20 new firefighters and is preparing to build a new fire station.

Recently, new technical materials to support the work were also acquired, such as thermal cameras and gas detectors, a set of equipment that represents “a crucial reinforcement for the safety and effectiveness of operations in the field, allowing for faster, safer and more precise interventions”.

At the same time the Union representing firefighters has called for an “immediate intervention” from Faro City Council to improve the working conditions of local firefighters, who work, according to the union structure, with “degraded” equipment and facilities.

“The SNBP demands immediate and effective measures from the competent authorities, ensuring adequate facilities, operational equipment and decent working conditions, essential for an efficient and safe emergency service”, requested the Union in a statement.

The union structure called on the local authority to respond to the labor demands of local professional firefighters, denouncing the “unsustainable situation in which the facilities, equipment and working conditions of the Faro Firefighters find themselves”.

The SNBP assured that it has made “repeated attempts at dialogue” with the Council, but regretted that, to date, the problems identified remain “unsolved”, putting “the safety of the Firefighters and the quality of assistance provided to the population” of the municipality and the Algarve at risk.

According to the union, Faro Firefighters are also facing “degradation of equipment”, such as “inoperative or obsolete” vehicles, personal protective equipment stored in areas with “inadequate conditions” and “exposed to asbestos dust ”, a carcinogenic substance.

“There have already been serious cases of health problems among firefighters, including one death due to lung cancer,” the union warned.

The union structure noted that it met in March last year with the Faro City Council to present the demands for Faro’s sappers to the municipality and, in June, given the lack of response from the municipality, questioned the president of the Council, Rogério Bacalhau, also without success.

Albufeira Wants to Ban Nudity, Alcohol and Bikinis on the Streets

The Code of Conduct of the Municipality of Albufeira, which provides for fines for nudity and for walking around in bikinis or swimsuits in public areas, has been open for public consultation since Thursday, February 13.

With the intention of maintaining public tranquility, safety and hygiene, the Code imposes administrative offences on anyone who “remains or circulates in a state of complete nudity” or “circulates or remains with exposed sexual organs” in public areas or on public transport.

“It is urgent to establish measures that allow us to effectively deal with the adoption of abusive behavior, namely by those who seek the municipality of Albufeira as a tourist destination”, justified the municipality in the notice published in the Official Gazette, stressing that it wants to “prevent the practice of acts that, by their nature, may cause undesirable damage to the resident population and the image of the municipality as a tourist destination”.

The draft Code of Conduct for the Municipality of Albufeira was approved at a Council meeting on 27 January and, after incorporating contributions from the public consultation, will be submitted to the Municipal Assembly for approval.

The document also establishes the prohibition of “remaining or circulating in a state of partial nudity” and exposure in public areas with “swimwear – bikini, trikini, swimsuit and similar, shorts and underwear”, except on beaches, bathing areas and access points, such as car parks, or in the outdoor spaces for collective use of hotel units. The “practice or simulation” of any type of sexual act is prohibited.

The “practice or simulation of any type of sexual act, whether individual or not”, the consumption of alcoholic beverages, staying overnight, defecating, urinating, spitting, camping or setting up any camp, preparing any type of food, as well as the practice of sports, recreation, culture, leisure or artistic activities outside of places specifically designed for that purpose are also prohibited”, determines the Code.

The fines for wearing a bikini or swimsuit outside of authorized areas range from 300 to 1,500 euros. Anyone who has sex or walks completely naked in public spaces is subject to a fine of between 500 and 1,800 euros. It is also expected that amounts ranging from 150 to 750 will be paid to those who camp or practice sports activities in areas not authorized for this purpose.

Noise, both individual and group, in residential areas, the “use of street furniture in a way that makes it impossible or difficult to use”, the use of municipal property for purposes not intended, their damage or the abandonment of shopping carts on public roads are also prohibited by the municipality’s Code of Conduct. Vandalism of lighting structures and public furniture is also punishable by fines under the Code.

“The power to initiate administrative offence proceedings, as well as to apply fines, lies with the President of the Albufeira Municipal Council , with the power to delegate under the terms of the law”, states the notice.

Punitive measures may also include “cancellation of the license to occupy public space”, “removal of open terraces” and “reduction of opening hours”.

The administrative offences attributable to economic agents range from 250 to 1,200, from 500 to 2,500 and from 1,000 to 4,000 euros, according to the code.

The notice was published on Wednesday in the Official Gazette and the public consultation will last for 30 days, starting on the day following the date of its publication.

MotorCyclist  Dies in Castro Marim

A 35 year old motorcyclist died on Saturday afternoon, following a collision with a car in Aroeira, Altura, in Castro Marim.

The Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command say the man’s death was declared at the scene by the INEM helicopter doctor, who was called to the accident.

There were 17 firefighters from Vila Real de Stº António and Castro Marim, INEM and GNR, supported by 5 vehicles, at the scene.

And Finally, The Volta ao Algarve  returns for its 51st edition between February 19 and 23.

In 2023 and 2024, the Volta ao Algarve was recognised as the best race on the UCI Pro series Circuit, reinforcing its notoriety internationally. This year’s route has been renewed to increase the sporting spectacle and competitiveness, crossing iconic scenarios in the region. The race starts in Portimão and covers nearly 750 kilometres over five stages. Highlights include sprint finishes in Lagos and Tavira and the challenging climb to Fóia via a new slope.

Other emblematic moments include the classics-style stage, with the arrival in Faro, and the individual time trial finishing at the top of Malhão, where the favourites for the title will fight a final battle for victory. In addition to the famous international race, the Algarve Granfondo 2025 will be held on February 22. This non-competitive race is open to all participants wishing to explore some of the most authentic landscapes of the Algarve interior on two wheels.

Participants can choose between two routes – the 130-kilometre Granfondo for more experienced cyclists and the more accessible 90-kilometre Mediofondo. Both have timed segments to increase the challenge and provide an even more immersive experience.

Until the next time Stay Safe..

 

 Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 12 February 2025

by Mike Evans

Good day to you all wherever you may be reading this latest Algarve report from. At the turn of the year after over 20 years of Tolls along the main A22 Motorway which crosses the Algarve was finally made free to travel along. There had been many protests about the charges that were instigated by the government, not least because many felt that as it was paid for by EU money there should not have been tolls put in place in the beginning.

Well, after just 6 weeks there are many in politics who feel that this may have been a hasty decision!

Deputies from the Socialist Party ( PS ) warned the Government about the degradation of the Via do Infante road surface, proposing a regular maintenance plan for the A22 and the removal of the old toll booths.

Jamila Madeira, Jorge Botelho and Luís Graça draw attention to the “foreseeable increase in road traffic” with the implementation of the end of tolls on the A22, a situation that, according to the party, “requires renewed attention from the Government to maintaining the quality of the road surface”.

Luís Graça, MP and president of the PS Algarve federation, recalls that “even during the concession period, when the payment of tolls was supposed to guarantee the provision of a high-quality road, the degradation of the road surface on Via do Infante was a recurring cause for concern for socialist MPs and mayors”.

With the end of tolls and the increase in the number of vehicles using the A22, a “more demanding” maintenance and conservation plan is required. “In several sections, the surface of the Via do Infante already shows clear signs of degradation. With winter, the end of tolls and the increase in traffic, the surface will wear out more quickly, so it is important that Infraestruturas de Portugal implement measures to guarantee the safety of users”, concluded the socialist deputy. The deputies also requested the removal of the old toll gates, with “particular urgency” for those that remain on the Guadiana River border and that “despite the end of tolls, they still alert drivers entering Portugal from Spain to the existence of a toll road”.

“The end of tolls restored justice to territorial cohesion, favouring mobility and road safety, the economy and tourism in a region that had no decent alternative to driving on the A22”, considers the PS. Whether this is a case of the old regime having a go at the new government we will find out soon enough if they are right and the road starts to deteriorate with the increased traffic.

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

PSP Arrests 3 People in Tavira for Drug Trafficking

The Faro PSP District Command reports that, during the course of yesterday 10th February, it arrested three suspects, two men and a woman aged between 42 and 56, for trafficking in narcotics, through the Criminal Investigation Brigade of its Tavira Police Station.

This police action resulted from an investigation that had been carried out over the last few months, in which it was possible to determine that the suspects were carrying out their criminal activity in the city centre of Tavira , in the form of direct sales to consumers, which caused instability and concern among the resident population.

Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, two home search warrants were issued, which were carried out yesterday morning.

The searches carried out resulted in the seizure of 146 individual doses of cocaine, two individual doses of heroin, two bladed weapons, two vehicles and other materials and articles commonly used in the criminal practice in question. The suspects were therefore arrested.They will be brought to court today for questioning and the application of coercive measures.

The Faro District Command is confident that, as a result of this action, the usual tranquility will be restored in that area of ​​the city of Tavira.

Man Arrested for Attempted Rape of a Woman in Albufeira

The Judicial Police (PJ) arrested a 38-year-old man suspected of having attempted to rape a woman in Albufeira, after entering her home without her consent, that police force announced this Saturday (8th).

In a statement, the PJ revealed that the attempted rape took place in the early hours of Tuesday (4th), with the suspect being arrested the following day. The 48-year-old woman was allegedly coerced into sexual acts by the man who entered her home without her knowledge or consent, the PJ explained.

The PJ pointed out that the woman suffered bodily injuries when defending herself from the attacker. “In 2024, the suspect entered the victim’s home, although he was never identified, a situation that caused him anxiety and fear at night,” the police force stressed.

The detainee was held in preventive detention after being present for the first judicial interrogation, a coercive measure that may be replaced by an obligation to remain at home.

Four Suspected Thieves Arrested in Lagos

The PSP arrested this Friday, the 7th, four suspects of burglary in residences, who tried to escape by jumping over the fence of a school in Lagos, with one of the group members being injured by a gunshot, the corporation reported. “Following this escape, one of the suspects was shot in the foot, at which point all of the aforementioned individuals were intercepted,” the PSP said in a statement, arguing that “warning shots were fired into the air” during the operation.

The detainees belonged to a group suspected of burglaries inside homes and were approached by the PSP while they were travelling in a car, having started to flee, first by car and then on foot, said the police force. “In this sense, the PSP pursued the four suspects on foot, with warning shots being fired into the air by the police officers involved, and the suspects, in order to avoid being approached by the police, jumped over the wall and fence of a school”, the security force explained. It was “following this escape” that the injured person “was hit by a gunshot in the foot”, explained the PSP, highlighting that the educational establishment “was used unexpectedly by the suspects” without causing injuries among students and other users.

The security force stressed that the injured suspect received emergency medical assistance at the scene and was then taken to a hospital unit, where he will receive treatment.

The case is now under the jurisdiction of the Judicial Police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the “circumstances of the incident will be investigated in a criminal and disciplinary investigation”, the PSP noted.

The police stressed that there is “no link of criminal intent in relation to the educational establishment”.

The PSP statement comes after the mayor of Lagos said that a group of men who were trying to escape from the authorities had tried to hide in a primary school in Lagos, in an incident in which police had fired shots into the air outside the school.

According to Hugo Pereira, the four men were fleeing the PSP in a car, but when they realized they had no way out, they started to flee on foot and some of them jumped into the Escola Básica do Bairro Operário to hide. “Some were arrested when they tried to jump over the school wall and others were already inside the school perimeter, but the main action took place outside the school,” he said, adding that during the chase shots were fired into the air in an attempt to stop them.

According to the mayor, the men, who were already under police investigation, were intercepted by car outside the school area, located near the center of Lagos.

Hugo Pereira added that most of the students did not even realize what had happened, taking the opportunity to praise the security forces for the way they handled the situation.

PSP Arrests Man for Drug Trafficking in Portimao

The Faro PSP District Command, through the Criminal Investigation Squad of the Portimão Police Division, arrested a 23-year-old man on Thursday (6th) for the crime of drug trafficking, the police force reported .

“The police officers involved were on preventive patrol and found that the suspect was inside a vehicle, accompanied by another citizen later identified, apparently dealing in narcotics, which prompted their prompt approach,” the PSP explained in a statement.

The approach resulted in confirmation of the suspicion, “with significant quantities of narcotics (hashish) having been seized spread across various compartments of the vehicle in question, which led to its detention”, the note continues.

Following the arrest, further police investigations were carried out, with a total of around 4,300 doses of hashish, 2,430 euros in notes of various denominations, a baseball bat and various materials commonly used in the development of this criminal activity being seized.

According to the PSP, the detainee will likely appear before a judicial authority today for possible application of coercive measures.

Algarve Lack of Candidates for Medical Positions

The Algarve continues to have great difficulties in attracting doctors to its hospital units, with positions advertised receiving virtually no applicants. The Algarve Local Health Unit published a notice in the Official Gazette, advertised a job in the category of assistant, hospital area, medical career, Cardiology specialty, but the result was a severe lack of candidates.

Another notice was published, for “two jobs in the assistant category, hospital area, medical career, specialty of General Surgery” and again received virtually no candidates.

An Internal Medicine specialty job “was deserted due to the sole candidate being excluded for not meeting the admission requirements for the competition procedure”.

Three jobs advertised in the specialty of Psychiatry received just one candidate, who was approved.

New Algarve Town Approved by President of RepublicThe President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has promulgated the decree that elevates Boliqueime, in the municipality of Loulé, to the category of town. This follows hot on the heels of Almancil becoming a City. The decree-law, presented by the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party (PS), had been unanimously approved in the plenary session of the Assembly of the Republic on 17 January.

The proposal to elevate Boliqueime to the status of town was presented in September 2024 by the socialist deputies elected by the Faro constituency, Jamila Madeira, Luís Graça and Jorge Botelho, joined by fellow socialist deputy Pedro Delgado Alves.

The document was approved conclusively, with favourable votes from deputies from all benches, in the plenary session on October 4th of last year.

To end this report — Lagos Chosen to Host Portugal Day Celebrations

The celebrations of Portugal Day (10 June) will take place this year in Lagos, extending to the Portuguese community in Macau. The order of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, dated 30 January and published in the Official Gazette, designates “the city of Lagos as the venue for the celebrations of the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities, in 2025, extending the celebrations to the Portuguese community in Macau”.

The document establishes that “a Commission chaired by Dr. Lídia Jorge, writer, is set up to organize the celebrations”, without giving details about the schedule of the celebrations.

The city of Lagos is once again the stage for the celebrations of Portugal Day, 29 years after the 10th of June was celebrated there in 1996 by the then President of the Republic Jorge Sampaio.

Speaking to Lusa, the mayor of Lagos, Hugo Pereira, said that “the designation is a great honour and a historic recognition for the Algarve city”.

“It is a source of pride for all the people of Lagos because it projects the city and its role in the national economy, also highlighting its importance as the city of Discoveries,” he emphasised.

Hugo Pereira also highlighted the “honour of having the Algarve writer Lídia Jorge chairing the organising committee for the celebrations, in a program that will be defined by the Presidency of the Republic and that will have the full support of the municipality”.

In 2024, Portugal Day celebrations took place in three municipalities in Leiria affected by the 2017 fires and in Coimbra, extending the celebrations to the Portuguese community in Switzerland.

Switzerland was the seventh country to host the celebration, after France (2016), Brazil (2017), the United States (2018), Cape Verde (2019), the United Kingdom (2022) and South Africa (2023).

Until the next time Stay Safe