Lisbon, Aug. 25, 2026 (Lusa) - The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD), said on Tuesday that «the time has come» for the government to fulfil the promise it made in May to provide a further 200 PSP officers and 100 municipal police officers in the capital.
«This government promised me 200 additional public security officers in Lisbon; we are still awaiting their arrival. It promised 100 municipal police officers; we are still awaiting their arrival, so we have a promise here, and we hope it will be kept,» the mayor of Lisbon told journalists on the sidelines of the ceremony marking Municipal Firefighters' Day in Chiado.
The issue stems from the announcement by the prime minister, Luís Montenegro, on 12 May, that the government would reinforce the metropolitan commands of the Public Security Police (PSP) in Porto and Lisbon with 200 new officers each. This announcement followed a meeting with the mayors of Lisbon and Porto, Carlos Moedas and Pedro Duarte.
«I have already spoken to Portugal's minister for internal affairs [Luís Neves]; he told me he would go ahead with it, but we are still waiting here, and it is essential,» emphasised Carlos Moedas, more than three months later, stressing that «the time has come to fulfil that promise».
The mayor pointed out, however, that this is a promise that previous governments did not make and that he is «certain» it will be fulfilled.
The Mayor of Lisbon also added that he has seen some increase in police presence in Lisbon's city centre, announced by the Ministry of Internal Administration after a tourist was hit by a stray bullet following a confrontation between two groups involved in selling pressed laurel leaves as if they were drugs, one of whom fired a shot from a firearm.
«It is not with a temporary increase in numbers that we will resolve the situation; the security situation is resolved by having more police officers permanently on the streets,» argued Moedas.
The mayor reiterated that he considers it «unacceptable» that the person who fired the shot is not in prison, calling for «stronger justice in relation to these cases» and rejecting any interference in the judiciary.
«We need a city with law and order, and that law and order depends on more police, but it also depends on legislation that is firm in the area of security,» the mayor emphasised, adding that he will be meeting with Minister Luís Neves once again this week and that a restricted Municipal Security Council meeting, involving the PSP and the Municipal Police, will take place next week, in which Moedas will also participate.
Regarding the controversies in which Portugal's minister for Internal Affairs has been involved, Carlos Moedas said he hoped that Luís Neves «is focused on what is necessary» and argued that the minister «must remain in office», pointing to the current fire season.
Today's ceremony on Rua do Carmo was also attended by several members of the government, including the vice-president, Gonçalo Reis; the councillor responsible for the Fire Service, Rodrigo Mello Gonçalves (IL); and opposition councillors Alexandra Leitão (PS) and João Ferreira (PCP).
During the event, participants laid a wreath beside the plaque commemorating the Chiado fire, which broke out in the early hours of 25 August 1988, near the former Armazéns Grandella department store.
The tragedy, which occurred 38 years ago today, claimed two lives, one of whom was firefighter Joaquim Ramos, and left 73 people injured, most of whom were also firefighters; it destroyed 18 buildings and around 100 shops.
MPE/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
