The MAI says that “citizens are more demanding of police actions”

The Home Secretary said on Tuesday that “citizens are more demanding of police action” but recalled that the PSP and GNR are among the institutions enjoying the “highest level of trust” from the public.

“This means that citizens are more demanding of police action and the exercise of democratic power, but 2022 can also be compared to 2021 and 2020, which were pandemic years, and so it is only natural that a different type of exercise has emerged post-pandemic. , about testing the democratic power of the security forces,” José Luis Carneiro told reporters.

The minister, who spoke to journalists at the Practical Police School in Torres Novas at the end of the closing ceremony of the course for 568 new PSP agents, was asked about data from the Inspectorate General of Internal Administration (IGAI) which shows that the number of complaints against the police has almost doubled in recent years six years: from 772 in 2017 to 1,436 last year.

José Luis Carneiro stressed that the PSP and GNR, as well as the Armed Forces, “are among the institutions that enjoy the highest level of trust from citizens,” stressing that the performance of the security forces was assessed as “good or very good.” Fine”.

Police oversight body data accessed by Lusa’s agency indicates that the PSP is the security force with the most complaints, with 538 complaints filed against public security police agents in 2021 with the IGAI. Next come the Republican National Guard with 427 and the Border Guard with 233.

The IGAI said it received 1,436 complaints against security forces in 2022, the highest in six years and an increase of 22.3% compared to 2021.

According to IGAI, almost half of the complaints (48%) against the security forces were related to breaches of duty of conduct (incorrect procedures or behavior).