Government wants to create ‘civic squads’ in parish councils

The Government wants to create “civilian police stations” in parish councils that would function as drop-in centers where crimes such as theft could be reported, the Home Secretary said this Friday.

José Luis Carneiro said that this new concept of “civilian police stations” will be implemented through an agreement with the parishes, and customer service will be carried out by PSP police officers.

“We are planning to change some aspects of the service model, namely the creation of a civilian police station, that is, it will be in places determined by the parish council itself and in dialogue with parish councils and municipal councils, places that can support and serve citizens when they have to commit participation of a certain type,” the minister said.

José Luis Carneiro, speaking to reporters after the inauguration ceremony of the Deputy National Director and National Inspector of the Police of Public Security, explained that the government wants to develop this model on an experimental basis, in a pilot project, with quarterly payments. grade .

“If the results are good, we move forward and replicate the model. If the results are not suitable for our purposes, we rethink and, in dialogue with local authorities and municipalities, decide on a model for implementation,” he said.

The official indicated that preparations are currently underway for the creation of the first pilot project of a “civilian detachment” in the municipality of Lisbon, but refused to specify which parish we are talking about.

“At the moment, the preparatory work we are carrying out, which has been going on for more than six months, is under the responsibility of the Municipality of Lisbon and has already become the subject of dialogue with the parish authorities, as well as with the city council,” he said, stressing that the intention of the executive is to that the first pilot project will be ready by December.

According to the minister, among the reports that can be made at these “civilian police stations” are thefts and disappearances of people and animals.

José Luis Carneiro also said that these police stations will be established in locations that the national leadership of the PSP considers most suitable from an operational point of view.

The Minister recalled that, within the framework of the Integrated Urban Security Strategy (EISU), the government plans to reinstate the project for the reorganization of the PSP device, approved in 2014 in the Lisbon Chamber, during the time when Miguel Macedo (PSD/CDS Government) He was Minister of Internal Administration and António Costa was president of the Metropolitan Municipality, “but naturally” this proposal will be updated and will have a new configuration suitable for 2023 and 2024.

“Through this reorganization, we plan to make the fixed device compatible with the creation of mobile police devices, with the fundamental goal of providing greater proximity and visibility between PSPs and citizens. To this end, we plan to change some aspects of the service. model, namely the creation of a detachment of citizens,” he explained.

When asked about the closure of PSP structures, namely in the metropolitan commands of Lisbon and Porto, he replied that this reorganization of the structure “can and should only take place when there is political awareness between the Ministry of the Interior, the leadership of the PSP, the president of the city council and the mayors of the parish council relevant territory.”

In this sense, the government is currently investing in the acquisition and mobilization of mobile police units that move throughout the main population centers of cities to facilitate contact with the police.

The government official also said that based on the experience and results of mobile police units and “civilian police stations”, it is clear that there are police stations that “no longer make sense in the light of this new approach to the policing system.” .