Lisbon Metropolitan Area establishes new security council

The Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) has approved the creation of a Metropolitan Security Council, a first-of-its-kind supramunicipal structure designed to improve coordination between various municipalities and security forces.

Announced by Carlos Moedas, the president of the Metropolitan Council and Mayor of Lisbon, the new body will include representatives from the 18 municipalities within the AML, as well as the Public Security Police (PSP), the National Republican Guard (GNR), municipal police, and Civil Protection. Moedas emphasized that security issues in the region are metropolitan in nature rather than strictly municipal, particularly given the region's population growth from 2.8 million in 2020 to approximately 3.3 million today.

The structure aims to provide a joint approach to security challenges across different municipalities and may include participation from the Minister of Internal Administration. Moedas clarified that the council is intended to reinforce, rather than diminish, the competencies of existing Municipal Security Councils.