Brazil: Violence continues in Rio de Janeiro despite security operations /update 1

Event

Gang-related violence continues to increase in Rio de Janeiro despite of the government's decision in February 2018 to have the military take control of security forces in the city. Security officials reported 191 homicides in Rio in March, a 24 percent increase from the previous month. During the same period, the number of suspects killed by police also rose 34 percent. High violent crime and property crime levels are likely to persist into the near future despite military intervention.

Context

Crime rates in Rio de Janeiro state have reached an all-time high as of 2018, according to data released by the Instituto de Segurança Pública (ISP) in April. In the first two months of the year, 15,107 cases of pedestrian robberies, 10,078 cases of vehicle theft, and 2086 cases of bus robberies took place - all breaking previous records. Rio de Janeiro has been suffering from rising violence since 2016. This phenomenon is largely attributed to fighting between heavily armed security forces and criminal gangs in Rio's favelas. The recent deterioration of security conditions in Rio sheds light on the failure of the state's security polices - notably the ''pacification'' strategy, which involves the deployment of Police Pacification Units (Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora; UPP) - to effectively improve the situation in crime-ridden urban areas.

President Michel Temer announced on February 16 this year that the army would take over command of security forces in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Under the new measures, the military has taken charge of all security forces in the state, as well as firefighters and intelligence groups. The federal forces will reportedly remain in control until the end of 2018.

Advice

Due to high crime rates in Rio de Janeiro - and throughout Brazil more generally - individuals should remain vigilant at all times, report any suspicious behavior to relevant authorities, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities. Conceal conspicuous signs of wealth to avoid attracting the attention of would-be thieves.