Around four million euros have been designated to improve existing and to construct new GNR and police stations across the Algarve. However, representatives from the two organisations believe that this amount is not enough.
The government ordered the renovation of the Silves GNR building, which is old and ill-equipped, but the building work stopped around two years ago due to a lack of funds. With the new funding allocation, the project has resumed with a 430,000 euro budget. Civil Governor of Faro, António Pina, has designated funds for the construction of new stations in the region, including new GNR barracks in Tavira costing 1.2 million euros, a police station at Faro airport, which has been assigned 941,000 euros and new GNR barracks in Armação de Pêra with a 700,000 euro budget. Quarteira GNR will be relocated to an old school site owned by Loulé Câmara while police headquarters will be constructed in Lagos at a cost of one million euros next year.
The district president of the Associação Sindical dos Professionais de Polícia, the police professionals syndicate association, Fernando Raposo and José Alho, the president of the Associação Sócio-professional Independente da Guarda (ASPIG), the independent socio-professional association of the guard, have both criticised the funds as being insufficient for the amount of work that is needed and highlighted the police facilities which they believe have the worst conditions – Silves, Castro Marim, Quarteira and Vila do Bispo.
