José Carlos Rolo rejects "harmful speculation" about crime in Albufeira

José Carlos Rolo, Mayor of Albufeira , repudiates, in a statement sent to the Barlavento editorial office, "the media's disinformation campaign", stating that the crime figures are false and demanding "immediate clarifications" from the Minister of Internal Administration.

"Albufeira is the second largest Portuguese tourist destination, after Lisbon, internationally recognized as one of the only destinations capable of competing with other top-tier European destinations and is, indisputably, a driving force behind the national, regional and local economies," the mayor begins by saying in the note.

"Its image, particularly as a safe destination, is a heritage of its people that should never be compromised, except in emergency or catastrophe situations certified by the competent bodies of Portuguese institutions. Destroying Albufeira's image is like destroying a national monument. It's a heritage that will take years to rebuild, if that's even possible," he states.

It is in this sense that José Carlos Rolo points out: "I therefore come to you to tell you that, as Mayor with the mission of defending above all the interests of the people of Albufeira, I vehemently refute the most recent news published by some media outlets, which this month have once again revisited the issue of crime in Albufeira with images already used before, of enormous violence, stating that such images occur almost daily."

For the mayor, "the issue has a sensationalist focus, without impartiality of opinion and without the awareness that such a headline implies discouragement of the people who live and have their jobs in Albufeira, whether self-employed or employed by others, and who depend on it for their own and their families' livelihood and, often, to balance their resources for the winter period."

"Journalism is a profession of the utmost importance for freedom and democracy, as an unbiased and independent voice. These recent cases discredit this assertion, harming their authors and all other journalists who take their profession seriously," he adds.

And he goes further, "creating an image of insecurity and criminality in Albufeira, in the middle of the bathing season, through speculative and manipulative headlines, is a crime against the municipality and against its citizens," he points out.

"It is common knowledge that crime rates do not take into account floating populations, particularly those caused by tourist flows. As I have warned the media, crime rates, correctly calculated to obtain a reliable measurement, must take the floating population into account," he explains in the same document.

According to the INE, in 2024, Albufeira received more than 1,750,000 guests who stayed overnight (7,718,000 overnight stays) in registered hotel establishments – hotels; AL; Housing and Rural Tourism –, not counting in these numbers, those who traveled to the municipality staying overnight in a second home or without staying overnight.

"If we take these figures into account, it becomes clear that the rate calculated by dividing the number of crimes by the resident population drops radically, putting an end to the harmful speculation being made about Albufeira," the mayor points out.

It is important to say that "the vast majority of tourists are people who come mainly as a family, who want to take advantage of the short time they have on vacation to peacefully enjoy the fantastic and diverse offer that Albufeira has for them, which is the result of the dedicated effort of the resident population, whose subsistence and future depend on their continued arrival," he adds.

José Carlos Rolo also notes that on Tuesday, July 22, he had an audience with Maria Lúcia Amaral, Minister of Internal Administration.

"I warned and demanded solutions to the security issue in Albufeira. This attack on Albufeira is also an attack on the government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, particularly its role as the body responsible for overseeing the GNR and the main security forces," the press release states.

According to the president, the minister "undertook to, regardless of the news topic, evaluate the possibility of urgently reinforcing police contingents in order to guarantee greater and more effective security for this municipality and its most critical points."

The mayor also asked the government to "act to deny the serious situations that have been reported and to intervene to ensure that there is justice and clarity in the way crime rates are calculated, taking into account the actual population present in the municipalities."

“Albufeira and its residents deserve everyone’s respect,” the document concludes.