Maritime Police Inspectors File Lawsuit Over Funding Shortage and Military Interference

Ahead of its 107th anniversary, the Associação de Inspetores e Chefes da Polícia Marítima lodged a judicial complaint against the Portuguese State and the Chief of Staff of the Armada, asserting that the Maritime Police has collapsed under financial asphyxiation and illicit interference. The association reports that local police stations are staffed by only one officer after 5 p.m., and the Grupo de Ações Táticas now has just a single boat.

Aging off-road vehicles are repeatedly failing inspections, and the Navy is alleged to be inserting its own members into police and maritime authority positions to boost internal promotions. The inspectors also highlight that the Maritime Police lacks an independent budget, surviving on minimal allocations from the Navy while the Ministry of Finance blocks new funding. Data presented show only 182 new agents hired in ten years, far short of the legally required 722. The case, filed in the Tribunal Administrativo de Circulo de Lisboa, signals a refusal to accept the gradual disappearance of the specialized force.