The Nightguard

José dos Santos left the military after serving his country in Bosnia and Kosovo and for the last 14 years has been protecting the community of Praia da Luz as their Night Guard.

I meet José one afternoon to discuss the Night Guard service, a secret army of law enforcers who work under the cover of night. At 3 pm, he has just got up, after carrying out his night-time guardianship of Luz which goes from midnight to 6 am. His shift begins when he checks in with the GNR in Lagos before beginning his nocturnal patrol of Praia da Luz.

The Night Guard, while sounding like the title of a John le Carré thriller, is a pseudo-police force performing a service on behalf of the public working alongside the GNR. The roll complements the service provided by the state police and GNR and each operative has a license from the Camera and the authority to use an appropriate amount of force and carry a firearm. There are also NIght Guards covering the Lagos area, Tavira, Loulé, Quarteira, Portimão,  Faro and Vila Real Santo Antonio.

As vice president of the Night Guard Association (Associação Sócio-Professional dos Guardas-Nocturnos) known as the ASPGN, José is a passionate advocate of the service and its history. I am amazed that after having lived in the area for 14 years I have never heard of this organisation, so I am keen to get to the bottom of his nightly activities.

In historical terms,  the first reference to the Night Guard Service in Portugal was recorded in 1383 in conjunction with firefighters. They were employed by the residents of cities to protect their property would have been the equivalent to night watchmen in the UK which have existed since the 13th century. In Portugal, they were deployed in the aftermath of the 1755 earthquake, particularly in the Lisbon area, now they act as independent workers providing a public service.

“I like to think I help the community and provide a first response service to people living in Luz although if there was an incident I would always have to call the GNR to take further action. I feel however that many do not understand the service I am offering.” José has a direct radio link to the GNR so if there is an incident he can instantly get back-up.

Although many of his clients have their alarms connected to Jose´s phone so if it is activated he will attend the property, his role goes beyond that of a security guard. Night Guards will also attend medical emergencies and pick up prescription medicine, he has also helped with water leaks and provides a key-holder service for vacant properties

Local resident Louise Chamberlain tells me: “We have employed José´s services for over ten years.  It is comforting to know that while we are asleep José is keeping a watchful eye on our property. Also, our burglar alarm is linked to his mobile as well as to our own and we have a 'panic button' so that if we should feel concerned for any reason we can simply press the button to request his help. Jose also offers to assist 24/7 should a medical emergency ever arise.  It is very reassuring, in view of our limited Portuguese language skills, to know that in an emergency all we would have to do is ring José and he will make the appropriate calls for us, and it only costs €1.00 a day!"

In June 2016 José launched his new patrol car, which is fully branded with the Night Guard Insignia and which is intended to act as a deterrent to criminals as well as a reassurance to the people living or staying in Luz. José tells me; “If someone comes on holiday to Luz and his robbed they are going to go home with a negative experience and this impacts the area and tourism. It is therefore in everyone´s interests to create a feeling of security.”

José reports that although Luz was incredibly busy this summer he did not see much crime; “The only warning I will give people is to be careful with their mobile phones. They are very easy to steal and put in a rucksack and no-one will know. People will rent a villa and leave all the windows open and their mobiles in their bedrooms and criminals will steal four or five at a time and they are very valuable.”

José has been on the beat in Luz since 2002 but the service is entirely funded by the public and so for the first 3 years he had to have a 2nd job during the day and then work all night. José´s military training is evident in his meticulous attention to detail and his dedication but he confesses he is not a businessman and he does not have a lot of time to spend on his own PR. So he needs more residents and businesses to support the work he does with financial contributions. Remuneration is in the form of voluntary contributions paid monthly or annually by property owners can range from as little as €30 per month for a standard villa.

He is supported by Safe Communities Algarve and has spoken at their seminars, they say; “Safe Communities Algarve fully supports the Night Guard Service as it provides an important supplement to the work and resources of the GNR and PSP in preventing crime and helping to ensure safe communities.”

José is also a vital support to the elderly and vulnerable in the community. He has been called out to investigate car alarms that are going off and to give reassurance to an elderly lady who had just lost her husband and was getting scared in the night. Yet many are not giving him the financial support he deserves. Local resident Andy White says:

“We have used José Santos for approximately five years now and he has been an incredible help. When a neighbour died suddenly during the night and his distraught wife called us, I immediately called the night guard and he, in turn, called the police and paramedics. Also recently when some very drunk and noisy holidaymakers were creating chaos and were seriously threatening the area, he was outside our house in less than two minutes, again he called the GNR who were there in minutes and dealt with what could have been a nasty situation. It is difficult to explain to some residents the value of having an armed government-authorised guard in your area.  In our area, Montinhos da Luz, only a few subscribe to the service, the rest assume that they get the advantage of having him in the area anyway.”

I ask José if he is aware that Portugal has just achieved position three in the world's most peaceful countries poll; “Yes and I would like to think that the Night Guard service is a small cog in the wheel that has led to this achievement.”

It is time for the Night Guards, of which there are around 300 in Portugal, to step out of the shadows and get the recognition and support they deserve.

To find out more about the work of the Luz Night Guard service in Luz you may contact José  on

964 542 462  gnluzpt@gmail.com  https://www.facebook.com/gnluzpt

For other areas find information at:

aspguardasnocturnos@gmail.com

www.guarda-nocturno.blogspot.com