Brazil: Increased security presence in Rio de Janeiro /update 3

Event

Security officials announced on Wednesday, May 16, that ongoing operations in Rio de Janeiro were entering a new phase. According to the military spokesperson, there will be an increased police presence in the city, with 1300 additional officers and 580 new vehicles being deployed. Officials claim that crime rates are declining, including street robberies and other violent crimes.

Context

The new phase of operations comes three months after President Michel Temer ordered the army to take over command of security forces in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Military officials said that the first phase of the intervention was focused on restoring the operational capacity of security forces and reducing crime rates. Under the new measures, the military has taken charge of all security forces in the state, as well as fire departments and intelligence groups. The federal forces will reportedly remain in control until the end of 2018.

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.

Advice

Due to high crime rates in Rio de Janeiro - and throughout Brazil more generally - individuals should remain vigilant at all times, avoid all favelas, 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.