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Policing and Oversight Experience in Brazil

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Policing and Oversight Experience in Brazil CACOLE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE PANEL: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON OVERSIGHT – A VIEW FROM LATIN AMERICA AND ASIA POLICING AND OVERSIGHT EXPERIENCE FROM BRAZIL MARINA MENEZES SENIOR ANALYST ICPC’s Mandate . Unique International Organisation dedicated to the prevention and reduction of violence and crime in communities . International network - Americas, Europe, Africa, and Oceania . Monitors international trends . Provides technical assistance . Advises on policies, strategies and programs . + 50 members Brazil – an overview Total Population: 190,732,694 (estimated) Area: 8,515,767 km2 26 States + the capital (Federal District) GDP: 2.879 trillion World’s 6th largest economy HDI: 0.699 (84th) 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 Source: Brazilian MinistrySource: Health of Homicides in Brazil: total and rates per 100.000 inhabitants 100.000 per rates Homicides total in Brazil:and 0 1980 13,911 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 21.8 1990 32,015 (1980 to 2010) to (1980 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Violence in Brazil 2000 27.6 2001 48,032 2002 49,816 28.2 2003 51,534 2004 48,909 26.1 2005 48,136 2006 49,704 25.2 2007 48,219 2008 50,113 2009 49,875 26.4 2010 50,431 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Police forces in Brazil • National level • Federal police • States level • Military police • Civil police • Municipal level • Municipal guards Police forces in Brazil Federal police • Jurisdiction throughout the national territory • Subordinated to the Ministry of Justice • Responsible for investigations of crimes against the Federal Government or its organs and companies • Responsible for the combat of transnational crimes such as international drug trafficking, human trafficking and terrorism • Immigration and border control police Other federal polices: Federal Highway Police and Federal Railway Police Police forces in Brazil Military police • Jurisdiction throughout the state territory • Subordinated to the State Public Safety Secretary • Responsible for order maintenance functions • Repressive actions and crime prevention • Usually, includes the Fire Brigade In the country, there are 27 Military Polices, one per state and one in the Federal District. Police forces in Brazil Civil police • Jurisdiction throughout the state territory • Subordinated to the State Public Safety Secretary • Responsible for law enforcement duties • Investigation of crimes committed in violation of Brazilian criminal law order • Judiciary police In the country, there are 27 Civil Polices, one per state and one in the Federal District. Police forces in Brazil Municipal guards • Jurisdiction throughout the municipal territory • Subordinated to the Municipal Public Safety Secretary or similar • Responsible for protecting property, services and facilities of local governments • Extended mandate in some cities • Municipal Guards in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants are authorized to carry firearms. A municipal law regulating the topic is needed. In the country, there are more than 700 Municipal Guards Police violence in Brazil Homicides and police violence in Rio - comparison (2001 to 2010) 3000 2718 Homicides People killed by the police 2574 2653 2437 2465 2500 2406 2336 2155 2069 2000 1628 1500 902 1000 798 707 615 676 673 688 643 485 500 381 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Source: Instituto de Segurança Pública - ISP Police violence in Brazil • Authoritarian history • Quick response to the demands for recrudescence of police in the face of escalating violence • Mainly affects marginalized populations • Socially approved, accepted or tolerated • “A good bandit is a dead bandit” Police oversight in Brazil Objectives: • Guarantee efficient policing • Prevent deviant behaviour Role: • Capacity to curb abuses committed by the police, either by preventing or repressing such deviations. • Public awareness of the functioning of the police forces and the capacity to propose measures and influence decisions taken by the police corporations Police oversight in Brazil Internal control • Formal: • Chain of command (hierarchy), specially in the Military Polices • Internal-affairs bodies: Corregedorias • Informal: • Peers Police oversight in Brazil - Internal control Internal-affairs bodies: Corregedorias Mandate : • Correcting and improving police practices • Investigating and punishing irregular conducts Challenges: • Perceived as persecutory by police agents • Police agents who work in the Corregedorias do not have stability or any other special condition which distinguishes them from other police agents • Accused of being corporatist Police oversight in Brazil External control • Formal: • Public Prosecutor’s Office, specially for the Civil Police • Exercised by a police corporation over the other • Police Ombudsman Office: Ouvidorias • Informal: • Human Rights organizations • Press Police oversight in Brazil - External control Police Ombudsman Offices: Ouvidorias Mandate : • Receive complaints, forward them to Corregedorias and follow them up • Monitor police activity and publish periodical reports Context • Sao Paulo was the first state to create an Ouvidoria in 1997 • In 1999, a presidential decree is issued with the purpose of foster the creation of new Ouvidorias • Each state creates its own Ouvidoria and define by state law their structure, format and rules of functioning Police oversight in Brazil - External control Police Ombudsman Office: Ouvidorias Challenges: • At least 7 states of the country do not have such institution • Relatively young institution that usually depends on the person of the ombudsman to be active • Still relatively unknown by the population as a tool to control police activity • Limited capacity of action: lacks investigation capacity • Format varies significantly from state to state • Some states do not define as mandatory to have a civilian as ombudsman. Risk of having a retired police officer as an ombudsman. Corporatism. Police oversight in Brazil - External control Police Ombudsman Office: Ouvidorias Promising experiences: • The Federal Government created a National Forum of Police Ombudsmen and has been fostering the creation of new Ouvidorias and the strenghten of those that already exist • In Sao Paulo, the Ouvidoria established a partnership with the Public Defender's Office to follow up on cases of police lethality, independently to the Prosecutors’ Office in order to ensure proper investigation. Thank you! Marina Menezes [email protected] .
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