Is Lisbon Becoming More Dangerous? Carlos Moedas Raises Alarm Over Rising Crime Rates

Rising Concerns in Lisbon

The President of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, has expressed deep concerns regarding the increase in violence and crime in the Portuguese capital. In a recent interview with the Diário de Notícias, he stated, "Today, there are more violent crimes in the city, and people are worried."

Despite these claims, Moedas did not provide any evidence to support his statements. In contrast, the Metropolitan Command of Lisbon reported a 13.97% decrease in overall crime in the first half of 2024 across the nine municipalities of the Lisbon district. Specifically, crime rates in the Baixa district also showed a decline when comparing the first half of last year with the same period in 2023, indicating that both general crime and violent crime had decreased.

Signs of Insecurity

In his interview, Moedas highlighted what he described as "signs of insecurity" in a city he also referred to as "one of the safest capitals in the world". He emphasized that the lack of police presence is evident, stating, "Yes, it is a safe city, but we must be very careful not to stop being one. The signs I have seen in recent years are signs of insecurity."

Call for More Policing

Moedas criticized the current and previous governments, claiming, "There is little police in Lisbon." He mentioned having 400 municipal police officers but expressed a desire for 600, having requested 200 additional officers from both the former and current governments, only to receive 25. The PSP (Public Security Police) previously denied the claims of inadequate visibility and preventive policing.

Security Operations and Immigration Concerns

During the interview, Moedas refrained from discussing specific security operations, such as the one in Martim Moniz, stating that "no one did anything different from what had been done before". He accused the Socialist Party of demonizing security actions while emphasizing that all political leaders have undertaken similar security measures.

When questioned about the far-right political leaders linking increased insecurity to immigration, Moedas rejected such associations as "populism", arguing, "Discussing immigration is one thing; discussing security is another, and there is no link between the two topics." He pointed out that crime can involve individuals from various backgrounds, reinforcing that no group is perfect.