The contract should end in September, when the transfer of the current facilities, located in the historic area of ​​the city, will begin, if there are no “overruns” in the deadline for the work, explained the person in charge.

“The transfer to these new facilities is, for the Judiciary Police, an objective of 2024. If possible, it is to be completed in time for us to hold [the celebration of] the 79th anniversary [of the PJ], which takes place on October 20th. If it’s not possible, we think it will be by the end of the year,” he said.

The PJ's Southern board will move to the old building of the Escola Superior de Saúde da Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), while the academy will take over the current headquarters of the police force, whose capacity is no longer sufficient.

“A timely diagnosis verified that neither the current facilities were sufficient nor had the ideal location. They have an excellent location for other types of facilities, namely university housing, in an old area of ​​the city”, he highlighted.

According to Carlos Farinha, in addition to the main project that began six months ago, there is other work to be done, adapting an old school to a building with specific criminal investigation and police activity services.

The previous Government authorized the expenditure related to the contract to requalify the new Southern directorate building, by the Judiciary Police, in March 2023, as part of a process that began around four years ago.

According to the PJ, the total investment planned is almost five million euros.

The current facilities, in Vila Adentro de Faro, will be integrated into the heritage of the University of Algarve.