The early centuries of the Portuguese police system: from the Quadrilheiros to the General Intendancy of Police of the Court and of the Kingdom

Abstract

The origins of the Portuguese police can be traced back to the fourteenth century. The Alcaides were the first local authority throughout the Portuguese Kingdom to perform functions of public order and security, which were a natural extension of their primary defence functions. As representatives of the king the Alcaides were the first and only guarantors of the security and safety of the population, in every municipality. In 1383 King Fernando, by Royal Charter, creates the quadrilheiros of Lisbon, the first single purpose police body to fight crime and ensure the security of the community on behalf of the king. In spite of its insufficiencies, they last until the eighteenth century. The creation of the General Intendancy of Police of the Court and of the Kingdom, along with the establishment of the Royal Guard of Police in 1801, signals the end of the quadrilheiros. This first police force was never truly effective in fighting crime and reassuring the security of the community. Only after 1801, and for the first time in many centuries, will Portugal have an effective police force, the Royal Guard of Police.