The stark reality of Portugal’s police stations at night has been painted by PSP union president Peixoto Rodrigues who claims that “stations in some locations only transmit the psychological feeling of security”.
He was talking particularly about the precinct in Lisbon’s Bairro da Boavista where there have been repeated attacks over the years – the worst of which involved the hurling of a Molotov cocktail in through a side window which exploded, causing irreparable hearing damage to one of the officers inside.
A source at the precinct has told reporters how police on guard duty are regularly hit by glass marbles thrown from passing cars, and last weekend a large chunk of stone was hurled against the closed doors of the station in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The stone smashed through the glass, but neither officer on duty suffered any injury.
The “problematic area” of Bairro da Boavista has meant that nighttime duty officers are backed up by a rapid intervention squad should they need it. The squad was called in over the last attack but, as almost always is the case, no suspects were identified.
A police source told Correio da Manhã newspaper that it is “rare for suspects to be found” as assaults are generally launched from people in their cars.
The station has around 20 full time officers but it is most vulnerable during the night shift when there are only two men on duty.
This latest attack comes just over a month after the PSP announced a major organisational overhaul, with stations closing and more officers due to go on patrol.
According to the plan, the reduction in police stations in Lisbon and Porto will redirect 381 agents into policing, promoting police visibility and “combating the perception of insecurity”.
