Brazilian police kill five times more than American police; on average, they kill six people per day

Military Police patrol the Maré favela of Rio de Janeiro
Military Police patrol the Maré favela of Rio de Janeiro (Photo by Mario Tama)

Note from BW of Brazil: Sometimes the numbers say it all. You’re not really surprised are you? If you’ve followed reports on this blog, you would remember “Seven shocking facts about the police in Brazil that will scare you”. You would also know about the death squads within these police units. Besides the regular massacres, you would also know that this blog has called it genocide from the beginning. While it is true that the international media has basically been silent on the deadliness of Brazil’s police forces, these outlandish numbers have been the rule for a number of years. So as people in the United States have noted the increased militarization of police forces in that country due to a number of high profile murders, Brazil’s police never stopped tactics used during the Military Dictatorship that supposedly ended nearly 30 years ago. As such, let the performance of Brazil’s Military Police be a warning for how things could be under full militarization, ie, war on the nation’s own citizens.

Brazilian police killed more than six people a day for the past five years, shows report

By Camila Maciel

On duty Brazilian police killed 2,212 people in 2013, show data from the eighth edition of the Anuário Brasileiro de Segurança Pública (Brazilian Public Security Yearbook), produced by the NGO Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública (FBSP or Brazilian Forum on Public Safety). On average, there are 6.11 deaths per day. The number is lower than the previous year, when 2,332 people were killed by police in Brazil. The complete document will be presented tomorrow (11) in São Paulo.

Despite the drop, the FBSP evaluates the difference does not indicate a trend of improvement or change. The organization points out that it’s necessary to review the standard of performance of police forces. The forum was created in 2006 with the goal of building an environment of technical cooperation in the area of policing and public safety management. The Yearbook provides data on the cost of violence, public safety spending, crime and violence statistics police effectiveness and prison population.

Military Police in downtown São Paulo
Military Police in downtown São Paulo

The survey also reveals that in the last five years, police killed 9,691 people. The number is five times greater than that seen in the United States, where 7,584 people were killed by police action in the last 20 years. If added cases in which the police also acted out of service, the total comes to 11,197. The US data show 11,090 deaths in 30 years.

 In Relation to the amount police killed, there was an increase in 2013 compared to the previous year. There were 490 deaths, 43 more than in 2012. The average in the country is 1.34 policeman murdered per day. Since 2009, 1,170 officers were killed. The majority of deaths (75.3%) occurred when they were not on duty. Rio de Janeiro is the state with the highest number of cases with 104, followed by São  Paulo (90) and Pará (51).

In June, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, police confront anti-World Cup protesters
In June, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, police confront anti-World Cup protesters

As part of the Yearbook, FBSP presents the Índice de Confiança na Justiça Brasileira (ICJBrasil (Confidence Index in the Brazilian Justice or ICJBrasil), calculated by Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). The study shows that only 33% of respondents say they “trust or trust very much” in police work. The percentage is three higher than in last year’s points, but in the assessment of the organization, the number is still very low. 7,176 people were interviewed in eight states.

Police rated as more honest by the locals were from Rio Grande do Sul, with 62% of respondents’ trust. Secondly, the agents of Minas Gerais and the Federal District, with 57% of the population trusting in the integrity of the police force. In the national average, 51% believe that most police officers are honest. Amazonians, on the other hand, are more distrustful of the security forces. Police from the Amazon are considered honest by 35% of respondents.

Older people (62%) and those with higher education (60%) are the most likely to agree with the statement that most police are honest. Ethnic differences in relation to this question were also checked. Respondents who self-declare themselves branco (white) are the largest proportion of who agree with the statement than among those who self-declare themselves negro (black).

Source: Agência Brasil

About Marques Travae 3747 Articles
Marques Travae. For more on the creator and editor of BLACK WOMEN OF BRAZIL, see the interview here.

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