Portugal to Invest €20M in 600 New Police Vehicles
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced on Wednesday that the Portuguese government will greenlight a €20 million investment to modernize the nation’s police fleet. The funding, set for approval during Thursday’s Council of Ministers meeting, will facilitate the purchase of more than 600 new vehicles for the Public Security Police (PSP) and the National Republican Guard (GNR).
The announcement followed a high-level security meeting involving the Ministers of Justice and Internal Administration, along with the heads of the Judiciary Police (PJ), GNR, and PSP. The Prime Minister emphasized that while Portugal remains one of the safest countries in the world, maintaining that status requires constant effort and investment.
Major Crackdown on Human Trafficking
During his address, Montenegro provided an update on “Portugal Always Safe” (Portugal sempre seguro), a massive inter-agency security operation launched on November 4. The Prime Minister revealed that the operation has already successfully dismantled two major criminal networks involved in illegal immigration and human trafficking.
The scale of the operation is significant: over 4,000 personnel have conducted 170 separate actions, inspecting more than 7,000 individuals and 10,000 vehicles. To date, authorities have issued over 2,000 administrative offense reports and conducted numerous seizures. The operation is scheduled to continue through mid-December.
Social Stability and Neighborhood Relations
The Prime Minister also addressed recent civil unrest in the Greater Lisbon area, sparked by the fatal police shooting of Odair Moniz in October. While President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa made headlines Wednesday by visiting the Cova da Moura neighborhood, Montenegro defended his administration’s approach, stating that officials are “on the ground every day” working with local mayors and residents’ associations.
“We will leave no one behind,” Montenegro said, stressing a holistic approach to social stability. “We look at reality transversally, knowing that we must address family, social, and labor contexts, as well as access to education, housing, and health.”
Support for Security Forces
The move to upgrade the police fleet is part of a broader government strategy to bolster the security sector. Beyond the 600 new light and heavy vehicles and motorcycles, Montenegro reaffirmed his commitment to improving the careers and salaries of those serving in the public administration and security forces.
“We want to pair the valuation of our professionals with a greater investment in the tools they need to fulfill their missions,” the Prime Minister concluded.
Image: Pexels – Kindel Media
