n 2017, 6,500 crimes were registered by the Police Authorities in the Region, representing an increase of 6.7% over the previous year (6.1 thousand). The Ribeira Brava was the municipality that registered greater crime.
According to the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira, the crimes with the greatest relative importance in the total number of crimes recorded – “crimes against persons” and “crimes against property” – together accounted for 74.4% in 2017, increases compared to 2016, of 0.2% and 18.9%, respectively.
In 2017, the crime rate – which corresponds to the ratio of the number of crimes by the resident population (in thousands) – stood at 25.4 ‰, higher than in 2016 (23.8 ‰). In any case, that rate was substantially lower than the national average (33.2 ‰) and the value recorded in the Autonomous Region of the Azores (38.0 ‰). In the Region, the highest rates were observed for “crimes against property” (9.0 ‰) and “crimes against physical integrity” (6.9 ‰).
According to the municipality, the lowest rate was that of Santa Cruz (12.7 ‰), the highest recorded in Ribeira Brava (35.1 ‰). In addition to this municipality, Funchal (29.5 ‰), São Vicente (29.3 ‰), Câmara de Lobos (28.9 ‰) and Machico (28.4 ‰) presented ratios higher than the regional average.
In 2016, the average length of cases completed in the First Instance Judicial Courts increased in practically all types of cases, with the exception of tutelary cases, whose duration was reduced by 6 months. The highest increase was observed in labor processes (+4 months). As for the longer processes of the system – civil – its duration was aggravated in 1 month, from 30 months in 2015 to 31 months in 2016.
With regard to the number of public deeds, in 2017 there was an increase of 13.7% over the previous year, from 4,5 thousand deeds in 2016 to 5,1 thousand deeds in 2017.
