A petition calling for the revival of the 2nd Rapid Intervention Team (EIR) of the Public Security Police (PSP) in Coimbra has been accepted by the Assembly of the Republic (AR) for review.
“The petition has been accepted by the Assembly of the Republic and is under review,” said Rui Marques, the petition’s promoter, to Notícias ao Minuto, noting that the document gathered 10,565 signatures.
According to Marques, this team was “well-regarded in the city” and had “close ties to the citizens of Coimbra.”
The petition, which requests the reactivation of the 2nd Rapid Intervention Team with the same officers, emerged in February 2024, days after the team was disbanded.
“Since 2023, this team has provided excellent service to the citizens of Coimbra and the city,” the document reads.
The petition also mentions that the team members – Rui Simões, Rogério Costa, Nuno Nunes, Rui Manso, Pedro Santos, Fernando Lucas – were “separated” and “assigned to various police stations around Coimbra.”
Along with the petition, a dossier with 90 incidents reported in the city since the team was deactivated will also be submitted. These incidents have been highlighted by the former team on the Facebook page ‘Reativar 2 Equipa E I R’.
What is required for a petition to reach the Assembly of the Republic?
According to Law No. 43/90, dated August 10, any citizen can submit a petition to the Assembly of the Republic (AR), provided it concerns a public interest issue. However, there are rules to follow.
To be accepted, the petition must identify the petitioners, include a substantiated description, and specify the concrete request.
If it has more than one thousand signatures, the petition must be reviewed by the relevant parliamentary committee. To be debated in plenary, it needs over 7,500 signatures.
