Provisional data released by Public Security Police states that under the Safe School Program, 52 weapons were found in Portuguese schools in the last academic year and 3887 incidents were reported.
These figures show a slight decrease compared to the previous year.
In the 2024/2025 academic year, the PSP registered 3887 occurrences (-3.9% compared to the previous year), of which 2786 were of a criminal nature and 1101 non-criminal, according to the provisional data registered between September 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025.
According to the PSP, the majority of incidents reported to the police took place inside school premises (2719), with emphasis on those that occurred outside the classroom.
As in previous years, the majority of criminal incidents recorded were offenses physical offenses (1290), followed by insults and threats (892) and thefts (371).
The number of cases involving possession or use of weapons was 52, with 43 bladed weapons and two firearms being found and seized in schools.
In the last academic year, the majority of non-criminal incidents in which the PSP was called to intervene in schools were situations of disruption to school activities (431), which continue to be the most reported.
The Safe School Program operation aims to "reinforce the presence of the PSP in the vicinity of educational establishments and on the home-school and school-home routes of students, teachers, parents/guardians and operational assistants."
In addition to the Safe School Program (EPES) teams, with police officers specifically trained for community policing in schools, the PSP uses police officers from other operational areas for this operation, such as Auto Policing Teams, Traffic and Road Safety Enforcement Teams, and Criminal Investigation Brigades.
The PSP is responsible for the security of 3243 public and private schools, 966,987 students enrolled in these educational establishments and the 148,481 teachers and operational assistants.
When returning to school, the PSP recommends that parents familiarisze themselves with their children's school schedules, the routes they take to and from school, the names and contact details of their closest classmates and friends, and the places where they usually play.
Police also ask parents to advise their children not to accept rides from strangers, not to display money, material goods or other valuables, not to accept treats, money or other offers from strangers, not to change their routes to and from home without prior notice from their parents and not to play in deserted or quiet areas.
The 2025/2026 Safe School Program begins today, to ensure that the return to school takes place “with complete tranquility” and “safety for all students, teachers, assistants and parents”.
Source https://postal.pt/
