This increase in means is part of a plan released in a public session by the Ministries of Internal Administration and Defense, which aims to reinforce the security of the beaches in the municipality of Cascais, especially during the period in which the World Youth Day (WYD) is taking place in the district of Lisbon.

The implementation of this plan will involve several entities, namely Maritime Police, Public Security Police (PSP), National Republican Guard (GNR), Municipal Police and Civil Protection, which will cooperate with each other.

“With the World Youth Day, a peak of influx is expected, where people will look for a space to relax on the beaches, making it fundamental the need for adequate means and equipment to guarantee the safety of all those who enjoy this space”, justified the Minister of Internal Administration, José Luís Carneiro, in the public session.

The government official highlighted the cooperation work that will involve all entities, underlining the need to guarantee “safety at sea, on the beach and on land, avoiding incidents such as those that occurred on the beaches of Matosinhos and Carcavelos (Cascais)”.

“The best thing is to prevent and establish cooperation structures”, he pointed out.

Speaking to the Lusa agency, the mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras (PSD), explained that this plan designed for the municipality's beaches during WYD foresees a duplication of resources.

“Next week, which is the week of World Youth Day, we are going to have a reinforcement of means, both in terms of the Maritime Police, along with a reinforcement of lifeguards. Therefore, we are talking about 150 men and women, in the two components, who will ensure the surveillance of our beaches 24 hours a day”, he indicated.

“In total, there will be 150. They will then be reinforced whenever circumstances require, either by the security forces (PSP, GNR, SEF) or by the civil protection forces, namely by the five fire brigades of the municipality of Cascais.

The integrated safety plans will be implemented on nine beaches in the municipality of Cascais (Guincho, Cresmina, Duquesa, Conceição, Tamariz, Poça, S. Pedro do Estoril, Parede and Carcavelos) and also at the Alberto Romano Oceanic Pool and Tamariz Oceanic Pool, according to the captain of the Captaincy of the Port of Cascais, Paulo Agostinho.

According to the captain, the beaches will have a total reinforcement of 34 lifeguards from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and 14 lifeguards from 7:00 pm to 9:00 am the following day, while the pools will be reinforced with one lifeguard each.

According to information released by the Lisbon Metropolitan Command of the PSP (Cometlis), since the beginning of the bathing season (April 15) and until July 20, the authorities have already arrested 33 people following 21 police operations carried out on the beaches of the municipality of Cascais.

More than a million people are expected in Lisbon for WYD, from the 1st to the 6th of August.

The Pope arrives in Lisbon on the 2nd of August, having scheduled a two-hour visit to the Sanctuary of Fatima on the 5th to pray for peace and the end of the war in Ukraine.