Crime in Portugal

[blueskies]

Hi i'm interested to know about the levels of crime in Portugal?
I was in 2minds about whether to move to Portugal or Spain, have decided on Portugal but still don't know where in Portugal will have to look around first.

Just wanna know about Crime in Portugal, how likely is it to get:

Burgled
Mugged
Beaten
Stabbed
Shot
Raped
Killed

I know it sounds extreme but here in London all of the above is very common, 'Broken Britain' as they call it is on the increase and I hate even leaving my son at Nursery anymore where I cant keep an eye on him.
I long to leave but can't yet financially, I feel it'd be safer to migrate once I can afford to buy a house of my own there as renting without a job will be a gamble to if i'll find one in time to continue paying my rent, and with a child its even more of a risk. Good thing in a way because it gives me lot's of time to find out more, and levels of crime is an important factor as I don't want to go from one crime ridden city to another.

I'm interested in every part of Portugal Especially Lisbon and the surrounding areas, Central Portugal and all along the Silver Coast, if anyone personally has had any experience of the above and where and how-common occurances are to your knowledge.

Also be interesting to hear of the exact opposite, if you've never experienced any of the above i'd be interested to know where and how long you've lived there for!

I know crime is everywhere, it's the frequency of it that i'm interested in.
Thanks.

[silvers]

We have been here for over 3 years now and I happy to report "none of the above." The only crime we have heard of since we arrived is as follows;
1. a tv nicked from a local community centre, they blamed the Gypsies.
2. a couple growing weed in their back garden, they were Brits.

[Mr.Blueskies]

Hi,

We have lived here for 16 months and have yet to experience or even see any evidence of crime here. Recently, I was admiring a small pond at a local village square. I was very surprised to see that it was full of fish (koi). I remember thinking that every last one would have been nicked pretty sharpish back in la la land.

People here, genuinely do seem to have respect for themselves and for their enviornment and communities and for the rights of others to live in peace.
The children can go about safely here unmolested, and without the fear of having their personal posessions or money stolen. But this is a rural area, so I do not know if it would be different, in say Lisbon or Porto ?

[Mr.Blueskies]

Hi again Blueskies,

I have just noticed that you have concerns about racism here. You need not be concerned about this. I am Irish and my 14 year old daughter goes to portuguese school here. All of the other kids in her class are portuguese. She only understands very basic portuguese at present and is not really able to fully participate. Two portuguese boys were giving her a bit of grief at the start, (not racist) just calling her stupid etc. But she is confident and she told her teachers what was happening and it was very quickly nipped in the bud.


There are 500 pupils at her school and probably almost 100% portuguese. There are a couple of chinese kids and she says about three from the uk and perhaps two or three from the caribbean or africa ? No one bothers them. It is actually much better to get kids into the portuguese school system when they are much younger like your son. This is because younger kids do not see it as a problem at all. Believe me, it is much harder for teenagers to adapt because they are now opinionated and their hormones are also all over the place.

[mitz]

We were burgled about a month ago but the thieves took very little, only cash and jewellery that we had left lying around. I was amazed that they left the Tv, laptops, Wii, dvd player etc.
No damage to the door where they got in either. We only pulled it shut, enabling them to open it with a credit card or similar. We now lock it properly.

We heard several other people here in our village had also been burgled. The police caught them a few days later still robbing in the same village, dumbest burglars ever!

Some friends of ours also had a pair of motorcycle wheels pinched around last Christmas.

Yesterday in a village about 15 miles away, where I have been doing some work, some guys came and left a car in the road. A Portuguese friend took a look at it the next day and said it was a gypsy car. It had a Spanish reg. He said if it is still there in a couple of days he will make a call.??

[blueskies]

Thanks for all the replys its great to hear all these positive things!

Thanks Mr.Blueskies for the info on the schools it has helped to further put my mind at rest regarding that issue, it seems as if my friends were in the minority at having had a bad experience there as most people don't so I can safely assume its not a huge issue there which is good.

The recent news here is a 2yr old got punched in the face by a mugger for her mothers handbag, a guy got beaten senseless by anti-social youths which is very common daily occurance, and a teenager battered to death a pensioner, an ex-husband killed &chopped off his wifes hand, multiply that by rapes and burgleries a few times and there's your daily dose of London today.

Not to say its all bad, I know for sure i'll miss like hell my friends the Fish&Chips chinese buffets kebabs Pubs the beauty of Central London and Chessington Theme Park, I know u have Fish&Chips there but it's never quite the same

[blueskies]

Correction: Just noticed I put the mugging involving the 2yr old about London, my mistake, that one didn't happen in London it happened in Berkshire.

[silvers]

Fish&Chips chinese buffets kebabs Pubs.
Got all of them within half an hour of my front door.

[PETERFC]

Hi Blueskies and all

For me after travelling to Central Portugal now any times in just over two years to a town called Gois i am yet to see any crime or hear of any.

I waited at Coimbra station to get the train to Serpins. Standing at the doors to the train where two lads fourteen/fifteen, as the train doors opened the lads waited for me to get on first. I am sixty i am sure that you may be concerned over nothing. Travel to the area you want to move to as often as you can to get a real feel for how life is.

Good luck

Peter

[Mr.Blueskies]

"The lads probably waited for you to get on first Pete, because you are now a skinhead and full of tattoos ? Or they may have been intimidated by you Doc Martins and three speed walking stick.