Just after midday yesterday, reports of a shooting in São Roque, Funchal were reported. The initial information was sketchy, only saying that the Public Security Police Rapid Response Brigade, and the Judicial Police were on site.
Away on the mainland, the President of the São Roque Parish Council, Pedro Gomes, reacted to the news saying that there are problems in the district, and as a result holds weekly meetings with the PSP, and that the two entities have an open communications framework.
However, Pedro Gomes did concede that almost every day there are between three to four incidents reported, but he refuses to accept any accusations of inaction by both the local authority and the PSP. “They the PSP control the area repeatedly. They know the reality in detail. But they cannot spend 24 hours a day in São Roque.” The council president who who is taking part in the Associação Nacional de Freguesias (ANAFRE) meeting, told newspapers that the population has, in fact, complained of the situation and expressed their concern of the feeling of vulnerability that they are living under. “This is a difficult problem!” He states, and the “police are doing everything in their power to create a feeling of security in the area. But our problems are varied from squatting, vandalism of empty houses, burglaries and drug use.”
Residents have also complained that people are injecting themselves with drugs at local bus stops.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
