Portugal approves law letting prisoners clean forests and expands police powers to curb fires

Portugal's Assembly of the Republic passed the Crime Policy Law for 2026‑2028, introducing a program that allows inmates to take part in cleaning, maintaining and enhancing forested areas as a preventive measure against wild‑fire outbreaks. The law also creates the concept of “zones with criminality of social impact,” enabling police forces to conduct regular special operations, including identity checks, vehicle inspections and searches, in these areas.

In the municipality of Abrantes, the local council signed a protocol with the Polícia Judiciária to deploy seven mobile video‑surveillance cameras in critical forest zones. The €6,000 investment aims to detect ignitions early, monitor risky behaviour and gather evidence for criminal investigations, with a five‑year initial term and automatic renewal. Both the national legislation and the local surveillance initiative target the reduction of forest fires that have plagued central Portugal in recent years.