PSP employees warn about the “collapse” of the police in an open letter

PSP officials have warned in an open letter of the “collapse” of the police force due to a lack of investment and agents, and of an unattractive career involving the “deplorable state” of vehicles, facilities and equipment.

“The collapse is happening right before our eyes, it is a pity that it is only ours,” writes the National Union of Police (SNOP) in a letter to which Lusa had access this Friday and approved on Thursday evening at a dinner where the PSP gathered. officers to discuss homeland security and the future of the Public Safety Police.

In a letter entitled “Security is Portugal’s oil,” SNOP condemns the low attractiveness of a police career, staff shortages and an aging police force, as well as a PSP “exhausted by government imperatives and lack of investment.” “.

The union, which represents the majority of PSP commanders and directors, points out that police demands “will not stop at remuneration issues” and that there is a need for “in-depth discussions on the level of investment and funding to ensure the security forces remain operational.” Right “.

SNOP stresses that “the pathetic management of the security forces has a long history” and that more than 90% of its budget is consumed by personnel costs, a figure “unprecedented in Europe.”

“The investment in a security force such as PSP, with almost 5,000 vehicles, 400 installations and countless “stocks” of technical and operational equipment, does not exceed 13 million euros per year, that is, less than 2% of the budget,” the union writes, arguing that the law about programming “allows only two-thirds of the amounts authorized to be completed,” and of this, “only one-third goes toward equipment or facilities” for the police.

“A little more than a fifth of the amount approved by the Council of Ministers is actually allocated to facilities, vehicles and equipment of the security forces, and this is precisely the truth. That is why we see the deplorable state they are in. No institution can function with such a financial structure,” officials say.

In terms of human resources, SNOP highlights that the average age of police officers is 11 years lower than that of the general population, the suicide rate is almost twice as high, the number of police officers killed in the line of duty is 1.4 per year (32 cases in total), and the police The number of officers attacked is 901 per year, an average from 2000 to 2022.

According to SNOP, last year 18% of PSP police officers (3,719) met pre-retirement requirements, and 53% (11,060) were over 45 years old, for a total of 20,870 PSP members.

“Within five years, 34% of police officers will meet the requirements for pre-retirement age. The scenario becomes even more alarming when the results of the last four police recruitment competitions show that the Portuguese police force faces a serious threat. to its readiness and operational effectiveness due to the fact that it does not have the ability to replace, supplement and rejuvenate police officers as planned,” they emphasize.

PSP officials say the number of candidates approved in the last four competitions was “much lower than expected” and did not fill all the politically advertised vacancies included in the Multi-Year Admissions Plan.

According to SNOP, 4,200 new police officers were expected to join the army between 2019 and 2023, but only 2,849 new officers joined the PSP, a reduction of 1,351.

“This is the result of a despicable attack on the dignity of police careers and the important role of security forces,” the union says, also noting that about 20% of college-educated police officers who joined the PSP between 2008 and 2014 have already left college, while most of them went on to work in PJ, SEF and other senior technical positions in public administration.