Although the number of inspection actions carried out by the brigades in the PSP environment was identical in both years, as well as the administrative offense records, the crimes recorded went from 660 in 2022 to 1,356 last year, and arrests rose from 61 in 2022 to 131 in 2023.

Specifically, 5,706 inspection actions were carried out in 2022 and 5,864 in 2023. The number of infraction notices increased from 4,422 in 2022 and 4,421 last year.

According to the PSP report, in a statement, the majority of administrative offenses are related to noise, smoking, forest protection against fires (land cleaning and fuel management), waste management and oil separation.

As for criminal offenses, data for last year indicate that the majority of reports were crimes of abandonment (264) and mistreatment of animals (473), arson (199), damage to nature (capture of protected species of fauna and flora and destruction of their habitats) and pollution.

The PSP created the Environmental Protection Brigades (BriPA) in 2006, to respond to cases related to the protection and preservation of the environment, protected species of fauna and flora and their natural habitat.

The PSP, in order to provide a concerted response to crimes and infractions, and which involved the aspects of prevention, supervision and investigation, created the Integrated Environmental Protection and Security System (SIPSA).

According to the balance, the PSP currently has 250 police officers with specific training in environmental protection and preservation and 75 BriPA nationally (6 in the Metropolitan Commands of Lisbon and Porto and between 3 and 4 in the remaining Territorial Commands).

Alongside BriPa, the Environmental Crime Investigation Brigades (BRICA) were also created, specializing in the investigation of environmental crimes or crimes involving companion animals.

In 2015, PSP created, in partnership with Lisbon City Council, the Animal Defense Program, specially dedicated to animal abandonment and abuse.

The police, in the statement, appeal to citizens to respect the rights of animals and to report situations that constitute mistreatment and/or abandonment directly at the police stations or via email at Defesanimal@psp.pt.