Public Security Police
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Public Security Police Polícia de Segurança Pública |
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| Abbreviation | PSP |
PSP coat of arms
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| Motto | Pela ordem e pela pátria For order and for the fatherland |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 2 July, 1867 |
| Employees | 21 000 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
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National agency (Operations jurisdiction) |
PT |
| Legal jurisdiction | As per operations jurisdiction. |
| Primary governing body | Government of Portugal |
| Secondary governing body | Ministry of Internal Administration |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Lisbon |
| Elected officer responsible | Contança Urbano de Sousa, Minister of Internal Administration |
| Agency executive | Chief Superintendent Paulo Jorge Valente Gomes, National Director |
| Website | |
| www.psp.pt | |
The Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP; Public Security Police) is the civil preventive police force of Portugal. Part of the Portuguese security forces, the mission of the PSP is to defend Republican democracy, safeguarding internal security and the rights of its citizens. Despite many other functions, the force is generally known for policing urban areas with uniformed police officers, while rural areas are normally policed by National Republican Guard (GNR), a gendarmerie force. PSP is focused in the preventive policing, only investigating minor crimes. Investigation of serious crimes falls under the Judicial Police responsibility, which is a separate agency.
Due to their high visibility, the PSP are recognized by the public as the "police" in Portugal.
Like most of Europe, until the Middle Ages the defense of public order was the responsible of local communities, under the authority of feudal lords and courts.
In Portugal, there are few references to the administration of justice until the second half of the 15th century. With the reign of King Afonso V (under the regency of Infante Pedro) came the first ordinances and penal codes, known as the Ordenações Afonsinas. These ordinances were reissued during the reign of King John I in 1514, after various changes under Manuel I. Some of the early judicial measures came from the early nobles. Afonso Henriques ordered the incarceration of women who lived with elements of the clergy, while in the era of Afonso II, under the influence of Visigothic codes and Roman law, resulted in the appearance of the first general laws. Similarly, Afonso III punished anyone who assaulted and robbed the home of another. King Pedro I, the Just, decreed that anyone who falsified coins, gold or silver objects would have their hands and feet amputated.
However, criminals were provided shelters by which to flee justice: the churches, monasteries and "privileged" lands. These privileged lands became areas of thieves and criminals, which resulted in King John extinguishing these areas. This was also something that King Fernando did with barrios, and only churches and convents became sanctuaries.
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Wikipedia