Policing in Brazil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Brazil there are three levels of policing: the Brazilian Federal Police, the Brazilian Federal Highway Police, the Brazilian Federal Railway Police and state police operate everywhere, and 147 cities also have City Guards {municipal administrative/patrimonial & security corporations}.
Each State is responsible for maintaining its own police forces, which are responsible for policing at the state level. Patrol and order duties are carried out by a military police force (state militia) and investigation duties by a civil police force (state bureau of investigations).
In some cities, the local government employs city guards, who patrol municipal property such as parks and the environs of city halls, with administrative police powers. City guards are permitted to carry firearms on duty in cities with a population of 500,000 persons or more. There is a Constitutional Amendment Proposition (in Portuguese: PEC) (534/2002) which will change the Brazilian Municipal Guards' police powers.
In some states, there is a neighbourhood watch program. These "police" patrol a designated neighbourhood at night on bicycles, and are provided with police weapons. They monitor the streets until morning. There is a monthly fee for this service. There are also task forces with representatives of Federal Polices, the two State Polices, and the Municipal Guards.
The Brazilian Federal Police operates at a Federal level and concerns itself with Federal laws, including corporate law, drug smuggling, money laundering, people smuggling, e-crime and anti-terrorism.
