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26 September 2024in LUSA Carlos Melo Alves comments on Lisbon mayor's proposal on arrests by the Municipal Police

Speaking to news agency Lusa, partner Carlos Melo Alves  said that this ‘is a delicate issue’ because it would imply changing the concept and functions of the Municipal Police, who, according to the law, can already - like any citizen - arrest a suspect in flagrante delicto and immediately request the intervention of a judicial authority. However, it was Carlos Moedas' possible intrusion into other areas of competence that was most criticised.

‘I find it confusing that the mayor of Lisbon can give orders to police officers and empower someone to deprive another person of their liberty, even if that other person is committing a crime. These are powers that derive exclusively from the Assembly of the Republic. It would be encroaching on the competence of parliamentarians. I think the position that the mayor is probably going too far can be defended,’ explained the lawyer.

Although he admits that he doesn't know the municipal police legislation in detail (the municipal police in Lisbon and Porto have a special regime whose difference is based mainly on recruitment within the PSP), the criminal law specialist also pointed out that the proposal could raise questions in terms of territorial competence.

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