Police Respond to Resident's Fears

[Polli62]

Just found this write up in The Resident.
http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?XID=40755

[James Faro]

It really is a sad state of affairs for the area if one of residents was giving a accurate description of the area, when he/she was quoted as saying this:

"I can never leave the house when it is dark and literally barricade myself into my home through fear of crime. Although my house is not isolated I do feel very alone because the other properties surrounding me are empty during the winter months!"

Either this is a reflective picture or The Algarve Resident is now into sensationalist journalism

[EMM]

No this is typical of the Residents poor journalism. remember it ha s a small captive audience of expats.
There are many better things we do with our E1.50.

Was the photo the entire attendance at the meeting ??

[Polli62]

I read it online.
Don't pay for Portugal News either, pick that up at the airport.
Re poor journalism EMM,your opinion was different when The Resident did a report last year saying that the crime figures where down on the previous year, and you agreed with them.

[EMM]

Lets get it right the Resident reported the official figures and I quoted them it did not nor ever appears to do it own research.
It also does such crass surveys such as " do you think that the Police give enough attention to foreign vitims of crime " I paraphrase.
This of course helps to build bridges between expats and the Portuguese victims of crime " I think not ".

[sunman]

I'm struggling to find any poor journalism in the article, it seems to be a straightforward report on a meeting.

the issue for me is that the organisers of the meeting were disappointed at the attendance; I don't know how large their membership is but we didn't hear anything about the meeting going on, I'd like to have gone, this forum would have been a good place for them to advertise.

their initiative with the GNR sounds like a good one, I'm going to contact them and try to find out more.

[EMM]

The views of I unnamed resident at a very poorly attended meeting does not represent the views of the bulk of Expat Carvoeiro property owners and should not have be given such prominence.
A decent journalist would have investigated further .
I have assumed that a representative of the Resident was present at the meeting, if not then I am even more critical of the article.

[sam]

It really is a sad state of affairs for the area if one of residents was giving a accurate description of the area, when he/she was quoted as saying this:

"I can never leave the house when it is dark and literally barricade myself into my home through fear of crime. Although my house is not isolated I do feel very alone because the other properties surrounding me are empty during the winter months!"

Either this is a reflective picture or The Algarve Resident is now into sensationalist journalism

I think this reflects the problems in some areas. I have a friend with a holiday home in an urbanisation that is predominantly holiday properties. I visited her in January, and had to park the car in the parking area and then walk down a very poorly lit walk way, past a number of empty properties. She said she would not stay there on her own, so I'm sure she would not go out on her own alone. I do not blame her. No doubt it is a very different matter in summer. I have a holiday home near CVO centre, and also have to park and walk to my apartment, but it is well lit. I have never bothered about staying in my apartment or going out alone until January. I am near the area that had vandalism and the blood trail, these are being attributed to drinkers from the Black Stove, so I did feel rather uneasy when I was there in January on my own.

[roy4eyes]

I agree with sunman - why are the organisers surprised at the low attendance to a meeting which has not been publicised?

Publicity is free on this web-site and 'ex-Pats' plus I am sure the regional newspapers would give space freely to publicise meetings of public importance.

[laserblazer]

It was mentioned in the March newsletter but the date hadn't been confirmed at that time.

[roy4eyes]

I did see in the newsletter that it was proposed for the 10th or 16th (it was apparently held on the 11th !!) - but surely the organisers (and if Margareida knows them perhaps she could pass this on) cannot complain about poor attendance if that sort of notification is the best they can manage.

[sunman]

I've written to the email address on the bottom of the article and said that the issue of crime/ burglary and vandalism is broadly discussed on this site and asked whether he/she/ they might come on to here and tell us more about their dealings with the GNR.