The president of ANOG, Tiago Gonçalves Silva, announced that the petition has exceeded the required 7,500 signatures, currently totaling 10,444. It has also been submitted to the Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral.
Tiago Gonçalves Silva further stated that the goal is for the petition, which seeks the “recognition of the security forces’ profession as high-risk” to be debated in the plenary session of the Assembly of the Republic. This would ensure that members of the PSP and GNR receive the “appropriate legal and compensatory framework corresponding to the nature of their roles.”
The petition was launched last week following the death of a GNR officer in the Algarve after the vessel he was on was hit. The petitioners argue that the security forces perform “permanently and continuously” high-risk and highly responsible missions essential for maintaining public order.
This entails a “constant exposure to potentially dangerous situations, direct contact with criminal activity, irregular hours, extended shifts, and demands that are psychologically and physically above average compared to other state careers.”
“The accumulated impact of these conditions represents a significant personal and family sacrifice, which should be fairly recognized and compensated,” the petition states, noting that this recognition “is not a privilege but an act of institutional justice and appreciation of the public mission” performed by the police.
In addition to demanding compensation for risk through the payment of a hardship, insalubrity, and risk allowance, members of the PSP and GNR also advocate for “enhanced social and psychological protection measures,” taking into account “the impact of risk and exposure to violent and high-stress contexts.”
