The growing wave of robberies in the Pinheiro Manso region, in Porto, is leaving traders and residents increasingly worried. One of the most striking cases is that of a café that has been the target of 23 robberies in recent years, leading the owner to state that the population currently lives “in a climate of terror”.
Carla Cruz, owner of the establishment, says that episodes of crime have become almost routine. According to the merchant, the space has been robbed between four and five times a year over the last six years.
The most recent case happened on the 3rd of this month. Two men broke the glass door of the cafe to enter the establishment. Inside, they quickly went to the cash register, which was empty. They even tried to take a gum display, but ended up giving up. Alerted by the noise, some residents noticed the situation, which led the suspects to flee the scene.
Despite repeated occurrences, Carla Cruz guarantees that she has taken several precautions to reduce losses. He avoids leaving money in the till or scratch cards in the cafe, but admits that this does not prevent robberies or acts of vandalism.
Insecurity is not limited to traders. Many residents of the region also say they feel increasingly concerned about crime, pointing to frequent thefts from vehicles parked on public roads.
Faced with this situation, a Pinheiro Manso Residents Committee was created, which intends to take the problem to the local authorities. A meeting is scheduled next week with the Porto City Council to discuss possible solutions.
Among the measures requested by the population are the installation of video surveillance systems and the reinforcement of policing, including the presence of night guards. The objective, residents say, is to return a sense of security to the area.
Even with surveillance cameras capturing some of the crimes, many residents believe that robbers do not feel deterred, which contributes to the feeling of impunity and increased fear in the community.
