Brazil: Authorities reduce peace police units in Rio de Janeiro /update 2

Event

Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann announced on Friday, April 27, that almost half of the Police Pacification Units (Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora; UPP) in Rio de Janeiro will be disbanded. Out of the 38 UPPs, 12 will be shut down and another seven will be integrated into other units. According to Jungmann, the units have met their objectives in reducing violence and drug trafficking in the city’s favelas. Also on April 27, the Observatorio de Intervenção (Intervention Observatory) released a report that violence in Rio between February and April 2018 has increased compared to the same period in 2017. The number of shooting incidents has also doubled in February-March this year compared to last.

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. 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. 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.