Portugal warns of rising beachside vehicle thefts

The Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR) has issued an alert about an increase in vehicle interior thefts, particularly in coastal areas, parking lots of beaches, shopping centres, palaces and museums. In the Santarém district, 145 incidents were recorded in 2025, 21 fewer than the previous year, while total crimes in the district fell by 470 to 5,667 nationwide.

The GNR notes that thefts concentrate in densely populated coastal districts such as Porto (1,440 cases), Setúbal (722), Lisbon (691) and Faro (629). Seasonal peaks occur during Carnival, the June‑September holiday period, and also in January, May, December and an atypical October spike in 2024 (576 thefts). Although overall crime fell 7.6% in 2025, the guard intensified its response, reporting a 160% rise in arrests – 68 detentions in 2025, up from 26 the year before, and identifying 1,523 suspects.

The GNR advises motorists to keep vehicles locked, store items out of sight, park in well‑lit or supervised areas, activate alarms and use location‑tracking apps to curb the thefts.