Liberal Initiative Demands Accountability from PJ Director Over Misleading Crime Data

Accusations Against PJ Director

The president of the Liberal Initiative (IL), Rui Rocha, has accused the national director of the Judiciary Police (PJ), Luís Neves, of using "truncated data" regarding crime rates in Portugal. Rocha announced plans to summon Neves to the Assembly of the Republic for clarification, emphasizing that security policies must be based on facts.

Claims of Misinformation

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Rocha criticized Neves for suggesting that the perception of insecurity is fueled by increased misinformation, while simultaneously using misleading crime statistics to create confusion.

Call for Accountability

Rocha stated, "The IL will call Luís Neves to the Assembly to provide explanations," underlining the necessity for security policies to rely on factual data. During a recent conference marking the 160th anniversary of Diário de Notícias, Neves argued that feelings of insecurity stem from misinformation and hybrid threats, countering that violent crime statistics do not support this perception.

Historical Context of Crime

Neves drew comparisons to the 1980s and 1990s, recalling the widespread impact of heroin addiction and crime in areas like Arroios and Intendente in Lisbon. He pointed out that the number of security-related attacks has drastically decreased, citing that today there are less than 4% of the attacks recorded in 2009, when there were 888 attacks on security vans and other targets.

Distinguishing Crime Types

Neves also addressed the issue of foreign involvement in crime, clarifying that most cases linked to transnational organized crime and cybercrime do not involve immigrants. He noted that Portugal serves as a gateway to the EU for migrants from Latin America and Africa, with many arrested for drug trafficking being economically disadvantaged individuals. He highlighted that among over 10,000 prisoners in Portugal, only 120 are from Asian countries, indicating a low correlation with immigrant-related crime.