The Safe Residence Programme was created in 2010 for the Loulé area after a wave of violent robberies affected owners of many high value properties.
The scheme now is being rolled out across the region and each registered resident will have their properties geo-referenced and numbered to enable the security forces to respond quickly without getting confused as to which house has been targeted.
In a statement released today, the territorial command of the GNR based in Faro reported that most of the households registered in the programme are in Loulé (2,741), but that last year a further 450 Loulé homeowners joined the scheme which now covers 5,000 Algarve properties.
This network of owners is useful in gathering information about the movement of suspects and the GNR provide residents with a named GNR contact from the specialist team.
The Safe Residences GNR team members all have a good knowledge of the region and of foreign languages. They also will provide security advice and have information to hand out in English and Portuguese.
The programme started in Loulé but now is being rolled out to cover the Algarve region with the mission to ensure the safety of all residences and residents in isolated places, through a form of dynamic policing which includes increased patrols and frequent visits to the properties in the scheme.
The owners of isolated residences in the Algarve who want to join the programme can ask at their local GNR station where they can get further information and clarification.
The wave of robberies at detached villas in the Algarve led also to the creation of Safe Communities Algarve, created by a former policeman and consultant to Interpol, in order to strengthen the relationship between the foreign community residing in the Algarve and the police so as to combat crime.
See also:
Safe Communities Algarve
http://www.safecommunitiesalgarve.com/how-we-help-you/safe-residence-programme/
Comments
That the elite of Portugal have held the country back in its pre-revolution Salazaristic stage of development - which continues to results in 'chancing' at all levels of society and consequently all aspects of surveillance and control of the population likewise.
Chancing meaning 'I know I should not be doing this act but if (important) and caught I'll ask my mates, who are also involved, to dig me out'.
If not important reasoning that 'I am pissed out of my head and if I drive fast enough I am sure my car will fly'.
So, if there are still residual attitudes in the Portuguese Police to foreigners - as being threats to Portugal with their subversive ways - then it explains them seeing us as inconveniences to them. Only useful as sources of road side funds and taxes.
Perhaps news of this crazy new 'prevention' idea will reach them soon.
I don't know if georeferencing will be much use as they don't have GPS units in their vehicles. And none of them are from the local area. I was told GNR officers are rotated from post to post.