Law enforcement in Brazil
[1] As a new force cited in the Federal Constitution Article 144, Eighth Paragraph; the guards act in support and complement - without a relationship of subordination with them.
The first groups assigned with security duties in Brazilian territory date back to the early sixteenth century.
Small, incipient units were designated in the Brazilian coastline, with the main function of fending off hostile foreign invaders.
At the time, intense gold mining had attracted attention and greed of explorers, generating tensions in the area.
Later, in 1831, when independence had already been declared, each province started organizing its local "military police", with order maintenance tasks.
In Brazilian Law, maintaining order is considered a preventive effort whereby police troopers patrol the streets to protect citizens and discourage criminal activity.
The former Brazilian Minister of Justice and former governor of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Mr. Tarso Genro, asked for them to be given more jurisdiction for their operatives, and especially for their official recognition by Brazil as public safety workers.
Candidates to military police lower ranks, such as 2nd class soldier (entry level), must meet a minimum of high school education.
[20] In the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the Military Police has been involved in several controversial massacres of civilians, typically in poor neighborhoods where high-profile criminals tend to hide.
[21] Brazil’s corrections system is a huge problem for the country and it severely affects the overall well-being of its people.
The government has been seen as "ineffective" towards criminal activity within favelas and Brazil as a whole such as trafficking of humans and drugs, kidnapping, and robberies.
Bolsonaro mentioned on his own social media page that criminals "should be" attacked by police officials, which can aid to the decrease in crime, thus creating a larger distrust towards law enforcement in Brazil.
[25] As of 2017, the President of Brazil Michel Temer, aimed to build 30 prisons that year to tackle the overcrowding crisis of their institutions.
First Capital Command slaughtered 26 other inmates at the Alcaçuz prison in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.
[26] President Temer wants to build these new prisons to separate non-violent criminals from the dangerous ones to prevent recruitment into organized crime.
The frequent use of pepper spray, tear gas, noise bombs and rubber bullets has been documented, as have severe beatings and kicking by the prison personnel on the inmates.
