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The Polícia de Segurança Pública MHTE (PSP; ''Public Security Police'') is the national civil police force of
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a Sovereign state, country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southern Europe, Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes ...
. Part of the Portuguese security forces, the mission of the PSP is to defend Republican democracy, safeguarding internal security and the rights of its citizens. Despite many other functions, the force is generally known for policing urban areas with uniformed police officers, while rural areas are normally policed by National Republican Guard (GNR), a
gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (literally, " ...
force. PSP is focused in preventive policing, only investigating minor crimes. Investigation of serious crimes falls under the
Judicial Police The judicial police, judiciary police, or justice police are (depending on both country and legal system) either a branch, separate police agency or type of duty performed by law enforcement structures in a country. The term judiciary police is mo ...
responsibility, which is a separate agency.


History

Like most of Europe, until the Middle Ages the defence of public order was the responsibility of local communities, under the authority of feudal lords and courts. In Portugal, there are few references to the administration of justice until the second half of the 15th century. With the reign of King Afonso V (under the regency of Infante Pedro) came the first ordinances and penal codes, known as the ''Ordenações Afonsinas''. These ordinances were reissued during the reign of King
John I John I may refer to: People * John I (bishop of Jerusalem) * John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople * John of Antioch (died 441) * Pope John I, Pope from 523 to 526 * John I (exarch) (died 615), Exarch of Ravenna * John I o ...
in 1514, after various changes under
Manuel I Manuel I may refer to: *Manuel I Komnenos, Byzantine emperor (1143–1180) *Manuel I of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond (1228–1263) *Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was ...
. Some of the early judicial measures came from the early nobles. Afonso Henriques ordered the incarceration of women who lived with elements of the clergy, while in the era of Afonso II, under the influence of Visigothic codes and Roman law resulted in the appearance of the first general laws. Similarly,
Afonso III Afonso III (; rare English alternatives: ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse''), or ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese), ''Alfonso'' or ''Alphonso'' ( Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin), the Boulonnais ( Port. ''o Bolonhês''), King of Portugal ...
punished anyone who assaulted and robbed the home of another. King Pedro I, the ''Just'', decreed that anyone who falsified coins, gold or silver objects would have their hands and feet amputated. However, criminals were provided shelters by which to flee justice: the churches, monasteries and "privileged" lands. These privileged lands became areas of thieves and criminals, which resulted in King
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
extinguishing these areas. This was also something that King
Fernando Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
did with
bairro A ''bairro'' () is a Portuguese word for a quarter or a neighborhood or, sometimes, a district which is within a city or town. It is commonly used in Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and other Portuguese-speaking places. ''Bairro'' ...
s, and only churches and convents became sanctuaries. The first corps of police agents, the '' Quadrilheiros'', was created by Fernando I, on 12 September 1383, consisting of 20 members, who were recruited by force from the strongest physical men, to serve Lisbon. These men were subject to the town council for three years, and required to swear fealty and carry a weapon (a staff), which they would display at their homes, representing a symbol of their authority to arrest and direct criminals to the ''Corregedores'' (magistrates). Since these men never received payment for their services, and since these activities were dangerous, most chose to escape the responsibility. For most, these services were intolerable, with little prestige, at various times resulting in bruises and wounds in the execution of their tasks. Owing to this, by 1418, these constables were not required to circle the town. Later, Afonso V provided the ''Quadrilheiros'', on 10 June 1460, with several social and economic privileges. However, these would disappear over time. Even as Afonso V put into action other laws, regulations, advisories and ordinances, many were ineffective. King Sebastian promulgated laws on 31 January 1559, 17 January 1570, 12 July and 13 August 1571, to reinforce the laws of Fernando I,
Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...
and Afonso V. To compensate the diminishing benefits of their service, the ''Quadrilheiros'' were exempt from paying taxes or military service. Sebastian also ordered that Lisbon be divided into barrios, and that each should be administered by an official of justice, with discretionary powers. On 12 March 1603, King
Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...
ordered new regulations for the ''Quadrilheiros'' to reinforce their authority. The Lisbon Council, on 30 January 1617, determined that ''Quadrilheiros'' should have a label over their doors to identify them, and that the King should confer on them special privileges, such as sitting at the council table. King
John IV of Portugal John IV ( pt, João, ; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), nicknamed John the Restorer ( pt, João, o Restaurador), was the King of Portugal whose reign, lasting from 1640 until his death, began the Portuguese restoration of independence from H ...
provided a new charter, and a decree on 29 November 1644, forced them (under terrible sanctions) to serve the public, working in the day and evenings. By the first half of the 18th century, little had improved. There continued to be a lack of policing, resulting in leis in 1701, 1702 and 1714. As new circuits were created to blanket the city, many of the criminals were aware that the laws transformed the situation into forgettable enclaves. The ''Quadrilheiros'' continued to be a poor class, due to their limitations, resulting in poor public order. After the
1755 Lisbon earthquake The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, impacted Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula, and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In combination with ...
new laws and resolutions were established to maintain public order and reduce anarchy.
Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo Sebastião is Portuguese for ''Sebastian''. This name may refer to: People * Sebastião (given name) Places * Sebastião Barros, a town in the state of Piauí, Brazil * Sebastião Laranjeiras, a city in the state of Bahia, Brazil * Sebastião ...
, the
Marquess of Pombal Count of Oeiras () was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated July 15, 1759, by King Joseph I of Portugal, and granted to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, head of the Portuguese government. Later, through another roy ...
, found it necessary to create an organism to centralize all laws. By law, on 25 June 1760, he created the ''Intendência da Polícia da Corte e do Reino'' (Police Quartermaster of the Court and the Kingdom), and the position of ''Intendente-Geral da Polícia da Corte e do Reino'' (Quartermaster-General), with unlimited jurisdiction. The first Quartermaster-General was Inácio Ferreira Souto, at the same time that the term ''polícia'' (police) was commonly used, and the ''Quadrilheiros'' were relegated to the evenings. However, this foundation did little to resolve criminal issues, and locks on doors, grades on windows and
blunderbuss The blunderbuss is a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity or caliber. The blunderbuss is commonly consid ...
es beside the bed continued to be important. The ''Intendente-Geral'' was preoccupied with pursuing those who spoke badly of the King, Government or Pombal himself. Between 1760 and 1780, chaos persisted. By decree, on 18 January 1780, Queen
Maria I of Portugal , succession = Queen of Portugal , image = Maria I, Queen of Portugal - Giuseppe Troni, atribuído (Turim, 1739-Lisboa, 1810) - Google Cultural Institute.jpg , caption = Portrait attributed to Giuseppe Troni, , reign ...
named the old Criminal Judge for the ''Bairro do Castelo de S. Jorge'', Diogo Inácio de Pina Manique, Intendente-Geral. Instructed in laws at the University of Coimbra, he became a powerful chief: he began by expunging the police services of criminal elements, and took advantage of all laws to arrest all criminals or suspects in the Alfama, Mouraria, Bairro Alto and Madragoa, reorganizing the services and bringing a level of respectability to the department. Around the same time, the ''Guarda Real de Polcia'' (Police Royal Guar') was founded on 25 December 1801, a militarized cavalry corps. While correctional "houses" were established, the ''Polícia Sanitária'' (Sanitary Police) was established to curb prostitution. The '' Casa Pia de Lisboa'' was founded to collect abandoned children. As the Police Royal Guard was overwhelmed with customs supervision, the ''Guarda das Barreiras'' was created, later to be replaced by the ''Guarda das Alfândegas'' (Customs Guard). In 1808 the General Loison, at the behest of the Quartermaster-General of the Royal Guard Police, established a ''Polícia Secreta'' (Secret Police). In 1823, the Liberal government established the ''Guarda Nacional'' (National Guard) and on 23 June 1824, a new secret police was reestablished, the ''Polícia Preventiva'' (Preventative Police force). On 21 August 1826 the ''Guarda Real de Polícia'' was discontinued. On 8 November 1833, the position of ''Intendente-Geral'' was discontinued with José António Maria de Sousa e Azevedo. All the services of the police, from this period, were transferred to the prefects (later civil governors), of which the Prefect of the Province of Estremadura, Bento Pereira do Carmo, stands out. The police prerogatives of this position remained temporary and territorial, influenced by prefects, general administrators and later civil governors. On 18 April 1835, the kingdom was divided into 17 administrative districts, with a civil governor for each district, and divided into municipalities, civil parishes and ecclesiastical parishes. The civil governors were responsible for public security. During a period of political confusion caused by the
Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War (), the War of the Two Brothers () or Miguelite War (), was a war between liberalism, liberal Constitutional monarchy, constitutionalists and conservative Absolutism (European history) ...
, the ''Guarda Real de Polícia'' was substituted by the ''Guarda Municipal'' (Municipal Guard), currently represented by the GNR, then created by Pereira do Carmo. In this entanglement of police institutions, many times contradictory, the ''Guarda Nacional'' was dissolved in 1846. Yet, the inconsistency of public security resulted in the 22 February 1838 law, that created a corps to maintain public security in each of the administrative districts of the country. Until this period, the laws, decrees and dispatches that were published provided better results in thefts and murders. The guards and judges, however, felt they were betrayed by threats and reprisals, which resulted in a demoralization of the profession. To remedy this situation, King
Luis Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archaic ...
ordered the publication of a law that founded a corps of civil police (2 July 1867). With the formation of the ''Corpo de Polícia Civil'', the foundations were laid for creating the Public Security Police.


Roles and responsibilities

The PSP has the following police roles and responsibilities: * Preventive Police: includes the prevention of general or organised crime and protection from terrorism guaranteeing the security of people and goods (to the level of petty crime), in areas that are not specifically reserved for the ''
Polícia Judiciária The (PJ; en, Judiciary Police) is the national criminal investigation police agency of Portugal, focused in fighting serious crimes, including homicides, kidnapping, organized crime, terrorism, illegal drug trade, corruption, cybercrime and fi ...
'' (PJ) * Public Order: this includes the responsibility for intervention and special operations * Administrative Police: this is the administrative arm of the security forces, including the responsibility for acts emanating from the competent authority and some matters of licensing * Exclusive powers: responsible for weapons control, ammunition and explosives, outside the authority of the armed and security forces, as well as guaranteeing the security for personnel of domestic and foreign entities, and other citizens subject to threat of person * Special powers: responsible for airport security and the protection of diplomatic missions both locally and internationally * Special Programs: responsible for educational programs, such as the Safe School, security of the elderly, trade insurance, spring insurance, domestic violence and the Integrated Policing of Proximity Program (PIPP)


Organisation

The Public Security Police is headed by a National Director, who is under the dependency of the Minister of Internal Administration. Its internal organization includes the following components: * National Directorate, including: # National Director # Inspector General # Deputy National Director for operations and security # Deputy National Director for human resources # Deputy National Director for logistics and finance * Educational police establishments, including: # Higher Institute of Police Science and Internal Security (ISCPSI, ''Instituto Superior de Ciências Policiais e Segurança Interna'') - university level police officer academy # Practical School of Police (EPP, ''Escola Prática de Polícia'') - constable training school * Special Police Unit, which includes as its sub-units: # Intervention Corps (CI, ''Corpo de Intervenção'') - riot sub-unit # Personal Security Corps (CSP, ''Corpo de Segurança Pessoal'') -
bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, ...
sub-unit # Special Operations Group ( GOE, ''Grupo de Operações Especiais'') - special operations and anti-terrorist sub-unit # Centre for Inactivation of Explosives and Underground Security (CIEXSS, ''Centro de Inativação de Explosivos e Segurança em Subsolo'') -
bomb disposal Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the milita ...
and underground security sub-unit # Canine Technical Operational Group (GOC, ''Grupo Operacional Cinotécnico'') - police dog sub-unit * Police territorial commands, including # Metropolitan commands (CoMet, ''comandos metropolitanos''):
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...
and
Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
# Regional commands (CR, ''comandos regionais''):
Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
and
Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
# District commands (CD, ''comandos distritais''): Faro, Beja,
Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old t ...
, Portalegre,
Setúbal Setúbal (, , ; cel-x-proto, Caetobrix) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies within the Lisbon metropolitan area. In th ...
, Santarém,
Leiria Leiria (; cel-x-proto, ɸlāryo) is a city and municipality in the Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat of its own dist ...
, Castelo Branco,
Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Lisbon, Por ...
, Aveiro,
Viseu Viseu () is a city and municipality in the Centro Region of Portugal and the capital of the district of the same name, with a population of 100,000 inhabitants, and center of the Viseu Dão Lafões intermunipical community, with 267,633 inhabita ...
, Guarda,
Braga Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants ( ...
,
Viana do Castelo Viana do Castelo () is a municipality and seat of the district of Viana do Castelo in the Norte Region of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 88,725, in an area of 319.02 km². The urbanized area of the municipality, comprising the city, ...
,
Vila Real Vila Real () is the capital and largest city of the Vila Real District, in the North region. It is also the seat of the Douro intermunicipal community and of the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro historical province. The Vila Real municipality covers ...
and Bragança. The regional and district commands have territorial jurisdiction over, respectively, the corresponding
autonomous regions An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, entity, unit, region, subdivision, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or internal territory of a sovereign state that has a degree of autonomy— ...
and
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
. Despite their designations, the territorial jurisdictions of the metropolitan commands are not the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and
Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
but are instead the districts of Lisbon and
Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
. The squad (''esquadra'' in Portuguese) is the traditional basic police sub-unit of the PSP, each being usually headed by a Sub-Commissioner. Most of the squads are responsible for the generic territorial preventive policing of a given
area of responsibility Area of responsibility (AOR) is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and co ...
, which can be a neighbourhood of a large city or an entire small city. Each of these squads occupies a
police station A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, al ...
and because of that, by
metonymy Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name' ...
, the police stations are usually referred to as ''esquadras'' in Portugal. Besides the previous, there are also specialized squads (transit, criminal investigation, intervention, airport security, tourism support, etc.). The minor territorial commands (district commands of Beja, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Évora, Guarda, Portalegre and Viana do Castelo) are directly sub-divided in squads. They usually include two or more territorial generic squads, a transit squad, a criminal investigation squad and an intervention and inspection squad. In the major territorial commands (metropolitan commands, regional commands and district commands of Aveiro, Braga Coimbra, Faro, Leiria, Santarém, Setúbal, Vila Real and Viseu) there is, however, an intermediate level of sub-unit between them and the squad, this being the division. These commands are thus organized in two or more divisions, each including several squads. The divisions can be generic (named "police divisions" and being responsible for a given area of responsibility) or specialized (transit, criminal investigation, airport security, installations security or public transportation security). The municipal police of Lisbon and Porto are also manned by PSP members, who retain all their police powers. However, they are not under the operational command of the PSP, but are instead under the direct control of the municipal governments of
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...
and
Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
. These two police forces are thus different from the rest of the municipal police forces of the country, which are made of municipal employees with very limited police powers.


Personnel

As of 2019, the entry level salary for a police officer in the PSP is 789 euros a month. PSP police personnel is divided into three categories: officers, chiefs and agents. The access to the agent category requires the conclusion of a technical course in the Practical School of Police (EPP) at
Torres Novas Torres Novas () is a Portuguese municipality in the district of Santarém, in the Médio Tejo of the Centro region. The population of the municipality was approximately 36,717 (from the 2011 census), with the city of Torres Novas (seat of the mun ...
. The access to the category of chief is made through the promotion from the category of agent, after the conclusion of a specific course also at the EPP. The access to the officer category requires a previous graduation from the Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Internal Security (ISCPSI), a
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
-level
police academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or othe ...
. The various categories, ranks, insignia and respective main functions are: * Police Officers :* Chief Superintendent: National Director of the PSP, :* Chief Superintendent: Deputy National Director or Inspector General of the PSP :* Chief Superintendent:
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitud ...
of a metropolitan / regional command :*
Superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank *Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
: commanding officer of a district command or second-in-command of a metropolitan / regional command :*
Intendent An intendant (; pt, intendente ; es, intendente ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In ...
: division commander in a metropolitan / regional command or second-in-command of a district command :* Sub-Intendent: division commander in a district command or second-in-command of a division commanded by an intendent :*
Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
: second-in-command of a division commanded by a sub-intendent :* Sub-Commissioner: commanding officer of a police squad (police station) * Police Chiefs :* Principal Chief: auxiliary of a unit commanding officer :* Chief: supervisor of staff and leader of police teams * Police Agents :* Principal Agent: a senior principal agent may perform the same functions as a chief, others perform the same functions as an agent :* Agent: functions of police constable * ISCPSI Students: :* Officer Candidate: student of the 5th year of the Training Course for Police Officers (CFOP) :* Cadet: student of the 4th year of the CFOP :* Cadet: student of the 3rd year of the CFOP :* Cadet: student of the 2nd year of the CFOP :* Cadet: student of the 1st year of the CFOP


Vehicles


Models

Since 2004, the
Skoda Octavia Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respon ...
has been the principal model of
patrol car A police car (also called a police cruiser, police interceptor, patrol car, area car, cop car, prowl car, squad car, radio car, or radio motor patrol) is a ground vehicle used by police and law enforcement for transportation during patrols a ...
used by the Public Security Police. Since 2018 PSP is receiving hundreds of
Renault Captur The Renault Captur (pronounced as "capture") is a series of subcompact crossover SUVs manufactured by the French automaker Renault. The production version of the first one, based on the B platform, made its debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and ...
patrol vehicles to replace older patrol cars. However, a number of other models are also in service, including
Nissan Leaf The , stylized as LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and its second generation was introduced in October 2017. The Lea ...
,
Renault Zoe The Renault Zoe (stylized as ZOE and pronounced as "Zoey"), known as Renault Zoe E-Tech Electric since 2021, is a five-door supermini electric car produced by the French manufacturer Renault. Renault originally unveiled, under the Zoe name, a ...
,
Fiat Tipo The Fiat Tipo (Type 160) is a compact car, designed by the I.DE.A Institute design house, and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1988 and 1995. The Tipo was initially available only as a five-door hatchback. The car was made enti ...
and
Toyota Avensis The is a mid-size/large family car built in Derbyshire, United Kingdom by the Japanese automaker Toyota from October 1997 to August 2018. It was the direct successor to the European Carina E and was available as a four-door saloon, five-door l ...
. Single apprehended
Audi R8 The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006. The car is exclusively designed, developed, and manufactu ...
,
BMW i8 The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car developed by BMW. The i8 was part of BMW's electrified fleet and was marketed under the BMW i sub-brand. The production version of the BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and was relea ...
, Porsche 996 Turbo and Subaru Impreza Prodrive are used as special pursuit cars.
Ground speed radar Ground speed radar is a non-mechanical way of measuring the speed of a vehicle. The Speed sensor fires a radar beam towards the ground and measures the Doppler shift of the returning beam.Toyota Avensis The is a mid-size/large family car built in Derbyshire, United Kingdom by the Japanese automaker Toyota from October 1997 to August 2018. It was the direct successor to the European Carina E and was available as a four-door saloon, five-door l ...
and
Volkswagen Sharan The Volkswagen Sharan is a seven-seater minivan that was produced by the German Volkswagen Group and built at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal, with a front-wheel-drive version across two generations, from 1995 to 2022. Through badge e ...
minivans are used for traffic enforcement, such as some Audi A4 3.0 TDI and Bmw 335i unmarked patrol cars, while some
Toyota Hilux The , stylized as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as pickup truck or cab chassis variants, although the ...
pickup trucks and
Land Rover Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers i ...
jeeps are used for patrolling non urban and mountainous areas. A huge number
vans Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...
are also in service, including newer Mercedes-Benz Metris and Sprinter (with flip down wire shield across the windscreen) and Citroën Berlingo to prisoners transport. The Special Police Unit uses several special vehicles, including
MAN A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...
tow trucks A tow truck (also called a wrecker, a breakdown truck, recovery vehicle or a breakdown lorry) is a truck used to move disabled, improperly parked, impounded, or otherwise indisposed motor vehicles. This may involve recovering a vehicle damaged i ...
, Iveco
water cannon A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of meters. They are used in firefighting, large vehicle washing, riot control, and mining. ...
s and armored vehicles, such as some
Volkswagen Sharan The Volkswagen Sharan is a seven-seater minivan that was produced by the German Volkswagen Group and built at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal, with a front-wheel-drive version across two generations, from 1995 to 2022. Through badge e ...
and two Ford Streit.


Vehicle appearance

PSP vehicles have some lack of uniform appearance due to the successive introduction of new liveries which however are usually only applied to new vehicles, with the existing ones keeping the original old ones. The most recent livery for the PSP vehicles was introduced in 2014. The basic version of this livery consists in a white body with diagonal blue stripes, the wording "POLÍCIA" (police) in blue
sans-serif In typography and lettering, a sans-serif, sans serif, gothic, or simply sans letterform is one that does not have extending features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. Sans-serif typefaces tend to have less stroke width variation than seri ...
lettering in the sides, rear and bonnet and a logo with the national colors on the front side panels. For the traffic patrol vehicles there is a variant, which intermediates red stripes with the blue ones and has the wording "TRÂNSITO" (transit) on the rear side panels. Another variant of the livery is its negative version (blue, with the stripes and wording in white) to be applied in vans and special vehicles. The three variants have been applied to most of the vehicles acquired after 2014. However, other vehicles carry older or not standard liveries, namely the 2004 livery (similar to the 2014 livery, but with the wording "POLICIA" in serif letters - which are inclined in the sides - and the PSP coat of arms instead of the national colors logo), the 1991 livery (blue body with doors, trunk and bonnet in white and crossed by red stripes), the 1979 livery (blue body with white front doors), the all blue body (used by most of the vans and special vehicles) and several special police programs (Safe School, Tourism support, etc.) liveries. A restored
Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...
historical patrol car - kept for use in ceremonies and exhibitions - is anachronistically painted with the 1979-1991 livery, instead of the original livery used by the PSP in the 1960s and 1970s, which consisted in a blue body and grey mudguards, with the word "POLÍCIA" on the doors.


Vehicles photos

File:Portuguese Police Audi R8.jpg,
Audi R8 The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006. The car is exclusively designed, developed, and manufactu ...
File:Portuguese Public Security Police vehicles with 2014 livery.jpg,
Skoda Octavia Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respon ...
III patrol car and
Toyota Hilux The , stylized as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as pickup truck or cab chassis variants, although the ...
pickup truck. File:Lisbon Police Tourism Support vehicle.jpg,
Nissan Leaf The , stylized as LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and its second generation was introduced in October 2017. The Lea ...
electrical vehicle, for tourism support. File:Skoda Octavia 2 PSP.jpg,
Škoda Octavia The Škoda Octavia is a small family car produced by the Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto since the end of 1996. It shares its name with an earlier model produced between 1959 and 1971. Four generations of the modern-era Octavia model have b ...
II patrol car File:WV Carocha da PSP.jpg, Old
Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...
patrol car (1979). File:Portuguese Public Security Police Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in Madeira, 2015.jpg,
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light commercial vehicle (van) built by Mercedes-Benz Group AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a large van, chassis cab, minibus, and pickup truck. In the past, the Sprinter had been sold under the Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, a ...
van File:Policia Porto Mitsubishi photo-027.JPG,
Mitsubishi Carisma The Mitsubishi Carisma was a large family car produced for the European market by Mitsubishi Motors from 1995 to 2004.Nissan Leaf The , stylized as LEAF, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV) manufactured by Nissan. It was introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, and its second generation was introduced in October 2017. The Lea ...
(electric vehicle) patrol car


Equipment

; Handguns * :
Beretta 92FS The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers co ...
* : Beretta 92FS Compact * : Beretta Px4 Storm * :
Glock 17 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...
* :
Glock 19 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...
- Standard issue sidearm * :
Heckler & Koch P9S The HK P9 is a semi-automatic pistol from Heckler & Koch in 9×19mm Parabellum, .45 ACP, and 7.65×21mm Parabellum and the first to use a variation of H&K's roller delayed blowback system in a pistol format and polygonal rifling now common in ...
* : Heckler & Koch VP70M * : Heckler and Koch USP Compact * : SIG Sauer GSR - chambered in the .45 ACP * :
SIG Sauer P226 Sig used as a name may refer to: *Sig (given name) *Sig, Algeria, a city on the banks of the Sig River * Sig Alert, an alert for traffic congestion in California, named after Loyd Sigmon * Sig River, a river of Algeria also known as Mekerra sig ( ...
* :
SIG Sauer SP 2022 The SIG Pro is a series of semi-automatic pistols developed by SIG Sauer in Exeter, New Hampshire. It became the first polymer-frame handgun from SIG Sauer and one of the first pistols to feature a built-in universal accessory rail and interchan ...
* :
Walther P5 The Walther P5 is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol developed in the mid-1970s by the German small arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It was designed with the German police forces in mind, who sought to replace existing 7.65mm pistols ...
* :
Walther P99 The Walther P99 () is a semi-automatic pistol developed by the German company Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen of Ulm for law enforcement, security forces and the civilian shooting market as a replacement for the Walther P5 and the P88. The P99 ...
; Shotguns * :
Mossberg 590 The Mossberg 500 (M500) is a series of pump action shotguns manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore ...
* :
Winchester 1200 The Model 1200 and Model 1300 are two pump-action shotguns that were manufactured by the Winchester-Western Division of Olin Corporation. It was produced in 12-, 16- and 20-gauge. The military version of the 1200 has the ability to have a bay ...
* : Fabarm SDASS Tactical * :
Benelli M3 The Benelli M3 is a dual-mode (hybrid pump-action and semi-automatic) shotgun designed and manufactured by Italian firearms manufacturer Benelli Armi SpA, and one of the "Benelli Super 90" series of semi-auto shotguns. The M3 holds a maximum of ...
* :
Benelli M4 The Benelli M4 is a semi-automatic shotgun produced by Italian firearm manufacturer Benelli Armi SpA, and the last of the "Benelli Super 90" series of semi-automatic shotguns. The M4 uses a proprietary action design called the "auto-regulating ga ...
; Submachine guns * : Beretta M12 * :
FN P90 The FN P90 is a compact 5.7×28mm personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. It can also be considered a submachine gun. Created in response to NATO requests for a replacement for 9×19mm Parabellum firearms, t ...
* :
HK MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...
* : HK UMP9 * : HK UMP45 ; Less Lethal * :
FN 303 The FN 303 is a semi-automatic less-lethal riot gun designed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. The FN 303 uses compressed air to fire projectiles from a 15-round drum magazine. It is designed to incapacitate the target through ...
; Rifles * : H&K 416A5 * :
H&K G36 The Heckler & Koch G36 (Gewehr 36) is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle designed in the early 1990s by German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch as a replacement for the heavier 7.62×51mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the ''Bu ...
* :
H&K G36C The Heckler & Koch G36 (Gewehr 36) is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle designed in the early 1990s by German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch as a replacement for the heavier 7.62×51mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the ''Bu ...
* :
H&K G3 The Heckler & Koch G3 (''Gewehr'' 3) is a 7.62×51mm NATO, select-fire battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K) in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CE ...
* : MSG-90 * :
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the ...
* : Accuracy International AXMC


See also

*
Polícia Judiciária The (PJ; en, Judiciary Police) is the national criminal investigation police agency of Portugal, focused in fighting serious crimes, including homicides, kidnapping, organized crime, terrorism, illegal drug trade, corruption, cybercrime and fi ...
- Portuguese criminal investigation police * Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) - Portuguese gendarmerie force * Foreigners and Borders Service - Portuguese border and immigration police *
Serviço de Informações de Segurança The ''Serviço de Informações de Segurança'' or SIS (Portuguese for: Security Information Service) is the Portuguese Intelligence and Secret Service agency founded in 1984. The function of SIS is to guarantee the internal security and prevent ...
- Portuguese internal security intelligence agency * Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica - Portuguese food and economical police * Guarda Fiscal - Former Portuguese customs guard * Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado (PIDE) - Former Portuguese border, migration, political and state security police


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Policia De Seguranca Publica Law enforcement agencies of Portugal
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a Sovereign state, country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southern Europe, Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes ...