Portugal interior minister seeks greater autonomy and powers for municipal police

Interior Minister Luís Neves, speaking in Mafra, called for expanded competencies for Portugal's municipal police, arguing they currently perform only administrative duties and lack criminal authority. He advocated creating a dedicated career path, granting more operational autonomy, and improving interoperability with the National Republican Guard (GNR) and the Public Security Police (PSP). Neves also urged a uniform national framework for municipal forces and the establishment of video‑surveillance centres in each metropolitan area to facilitate cross‑municipality cooperation, citing incidents such as hit‑and‑run investigations that cross municipal borders.

The proposals aim to reduce reliance on national forces for front‑line security tasks and to enhance local policing effectiveness through better resources and technological integration.