It is not meant to happen, but police stations up and down the country are being left vulnerable at nights, with only one officer on duty while two others patrol in a police car.
PSP stations in Lisbon and Oporto are the most affected, writes Correio da Manhã, with officers patently worried and “fearing for their safety”.
In 2008, a similar situation, at a station in Moscavide, near Lisbon, led to the serious beating of a lone policeman by an angry mob.
It led to a police despatch ordering commanders to make sure no station was ever left with only one man on duty.
“There should not be just one policeman in a station, nor should there be just one patrol car on duty, but the reality is that there are stations with just three officers” police union boss Paulo Rodrigues told the Portuguese newspaper.
“First, we have to create safe working conditions for officers, and only then can we ensure normal work,” he added, suggesting a way out of the dilemma could be a recruitment drive to encourage younger men into the service.
