The assault of a 35-year-old man with a bladed weapon occurred on Monday at 12:30 PM local time (1:30 PM in Lisbon), near the Sanctuary of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres building in Campo de São Francisco, in the center of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel. The victim required hospital treatment due to injuries.
The Regional Command of the PSP (Public Security Police) in the Azores informed Lusa news agency today that they handled the incident through the Ponta Delgada police station and reported the facts to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
When questioned about the matter, the Mayor of Ponta Delgada, Pedro Nascimento Cabral (PSD), expressed concern “about the lack of PSP agents” to provide “a greater sense of security” to citizens.
“We are not questioning the great effort made by the PSP in protecting our community […], but our concern about the lack of PSP agents to bring a greater sense of security to our citizens is also real, with the much-desired foot or car patrols in certain locations and at certain times, in a city where the police station must be open, permanently open, during the night,” he stated.
Pedro Nascimento Cabral mentioned that there have been numerous approaches from citizens and businesspeople expressing “deep concern about the increase in alcoholism, drug addiction, and crime” in the city and municipality, and “the lack of responses from public entities and police authorities.”
“The population of Ponta Delgada does not conform to this situation, in which the City Council assumes itself as an essential partner in implementing actions that contribute to increasing security in our municipality,” he emphasized.
Among the various measures taken by the municipality, Pedro Nascimento Cabral mentioned the reactivation of the Municipal Security Council and the signing of a protocol with the PSP to install a video surveillance system in various streets of the historic center, which “is currently awaiting approval by the Government of the Republic.”
The Municipal Police was also reinforced with 13 more agents, “who are currently in training and will start their duties from October, to carry out proximity work with the population of the municipality, maintaining a close connection with the PSP, to deter the practice of so-called petty crime closely linked to the consumption of ‘synthetic drugs’,” he added.
The mayor also sent a written note to the Ministry of Internal Administration “about the urgent need to reinforce 75 PSP agents for immediate placement in the various police stations of the municipality.”
Last week, Pedro Nascimento Cabral also met with the Minister of Internal Administration, reinforcing “the need to improve public security” in the municipality.
In a statement, the rector of the Sanctuary of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres, Manuel Carlos Alves, also called for a reinforcement of public security in the area.
“Public security is failing, and the police may not be fully fulfilling their competencies. I believe the problem is not with the laws but with how we read them,” says the official.
The priest points out that the assault that occurred on Monday happened in broad daylight, on a busy street and place, calling for a “commitment from everyone” to solve the problem.
“People cannot live in fear,” says Manuel Carlos Alves, emphasizing that “authorities must fulfill their functions of protecting the safety of citizens and public spaces.”
