According to the Inspectorate General of Internal Administration (IGAI), in 2023 the PSP opened six disciplinary proceedings against police officers for racial discrimination, including social media posts, and the GNR registered five complaints about alleged xenophobic behavior by military personnel.
The third annual monitoring report of the Security Forces Anti-Discrimination Plan, coordinated by IGAI, reports on what the PSP and GNR have done in 2023 from a human rights perspective and sets out goals for the year.
A document published on the website of the department that oversees the police indicates that last year the Public Security Police opened six disciplinary proceedings for discriminatory acts (racial discrimination and others, including publications on social networks), but does not specify the cases.
Of the six cases, three have been archived, two of them related to the application of the amnesty law granted in connection with Pope Francis’ visit to Portugal, and three have yet to be decided: one is under investigation and two are awaiting decision. from court, PSP reports.
Republican National Guard, which analyzed and summarized complaints, claims and statements submitted through the complaint book, electronic complaints on the portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), the website of the GNR, the Office of the Ombudsman or a letter addressed to the Guard. In 2023, the command registered five complaints about possible xenophobic and discriminatory behavior on the part of military personnel.
GNR, which also did not specify the type of complaint, is still conducting an internal investigation into these complaints and has already archived one of the five cases.
In force since 2021, the Security Forces Anti-Discrimination Plan is coordinated by IGAI, covers GNR and PSP and includes interventions in five main areas: recruitment, training, interaction of security forces with other citizens. and each other (including on social networks), promoting the image and communication of the police, preventive mechanisms and monitoring manifestations of discrimination.
The plan, which defined areas of intervention, objectives and specific measures related to the recruitment, training and operation of elements of the security forces, included the Aliens and Border Guard Service, which was disbanded in October 2023.
Each security force also has human rights officers who have been in post since April 2021 and work with the IGAI to monitor the police anti-discrimination plan.
In the report, which has now been published, IGAI argues that the PSP and GNR should strengthen communication strategies to publicize the launch of competitions for the recruitment of new police officers, with the aim of achieving greater diversity of candidates and increasing the recruitment of female candidates.
The IAP-controlled body also encourages police to begin disseminating information that will help raise awareness of the contributions of women and minority police officers.
In PSP the average feminization rate is 9.17%, and in GNR it is 8.52%.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.