Government is investing in empowering law enforcement and security forces

The Government is investing in empowering law enforcement and security agencies to guarantee "citizens’ freedom and security" in a context of "new threats", said Prime Minister Luís Montenegro at the ceremony where the new 439 Public Safety Police (PSP) officers pledged their oat in Torres Novas.

Luís Montenegro stated the need to harden penalties on those who assault law enforcement officers. "This reinforcement of criminal repression is essential to guarantee the efficacy of the law enforcement mission", as it is "unacceptable" to disrespect police authority. Our police officers (…) want, deserve, and need proper conditions to fulfil their tasks ".

Noting that the law enforcement officers "aren’t just worried about their pay checks", he recalled nonetheless the measures applied to increase the risk subsidy, the revision of their careers, and the "improvement of working conditions", including equipment and infrastructure.

Stressing the role of law enforcement and security agencies in the democratic rule of law, he said that "without a strong, active, and well-prepared police force, we cannot guarantee safety and security and without safety and security there is no freedom".

The Prime Minister also stated the need for a strategic revision of the security and law enforcement agencies’ missions, adapting them to the new threats and crimes, and reiterated the Government’s commitment to increase the number of admissions to the PSP, namely, to promote "greater proximity between the police and citizens ".

"Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world, but we cannot take it for granted. There are new threats we need to face", he stressed at the ceremony, which he attended with the Minister of Home Affairs Maria Lúcia Amaral.