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Rio City Hall sends bill to City Council to create Municipal Security Force
Published on 17/02/2025 - 17:52 | Updated on 18/02/2025 - 11:12
Important step to provide more security to the city - Fábio Motta/City Hall The Rio de Janeiro City Hall has taken an important step towards providing greater security to the city. At the opening of the new municipal legislation, this Monday (February 17), Mayor Eduardo Paes sent a Bill to the City Council to create the Municipal Security Force. It will be a highly qualified armed force that will be prepared to police the city's streets, focusing on preventing petty crimes in high-traffic areas. The Executive Branch will also reestablish the Municipal Guard, which will now have specific roles with the strengthening of special programs and groups.
– Insecurity is the greatest anguish of Rio residents. The fight against violence and the path to peace require our utmost commitment – as part of the State and as citizens. A firm commitment is needed from all spheres and levels of government, as well as from the Brazilian Justice system. Here in this House, I am fully confident that the importance and urgency of our project will be understood. I count on the support and collaboration of the honorable council members to take this step towards a safer, more civilized and fraternal Rio – said the mayor in a speech in the plenary session of the Chamber.
According to the Complementary Bill, the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Security Force (FSM) is hereby established, in accordance with section VII-A of art. 30 of the Organic Law of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, as a public body organized on the basis of hierarchy and discipline, with uniformed and armed officers. The Municipal Force will be responsible for strengthening and expanding the municipal role in security in a complementary manner to federal and state bodies of the justice and security system in cooperation, especially with the public security police forces. The Executive Branch also sent to the city councilors a Draft Amendment to the Organic Law of the Municipality to allow the use of firearms by members of the FSM, during the exercise of their functions.
The objective of the Municipal Force is to strengthen trust and security, with a program to reduce crimes in urban public spaces, due to their conspicuous presence in busy areas. The actions will be integrated with security agencies. The plan to create the Municipal Force was developed based on a detailed diagnosis, which showed the need for focus and specialization in security and public order actions, with the structuring of a preventive policing model. A study by the Center for Applied Science in Public Security of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, in partnership with the Municipal Department of Public Order, indicated that crime is highly concentrated in the city: 5,3% of robberies and street thefts occur in 50% of the territory.
– The Municipal Security Force’s objective is not to combat organized crime, but rather to confront minor urban crimes, such as robberies and thefts. The focus is to act in areas where most of these incidents are concentrated, expanding the jurisdiction of the City of Rio. We will work on a transparent strategy that will be monitored by society. In the coming months, we will implement a management model with weekly meetings based on indicators, to strengthen the Municipal Security Force with data and focus on the city’s greatest demands – highlighted the vice-mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, in a press conference.
Re-elected for another term, the president of the Chamber, Carlo Caiado, said that the Municipal Security Force project should be voted on in the first half of the year.
– There is already a lot of heat in the plenary session about this issue. I hope it is approved and, as the Chamber has always done, the project is further improved – said Carlo Caiado.
The structure of the Municipal Force has a Chief Director of the Municipal Force, Independent Ombudsman, Independent Inspector, an effective career as Municipal Public Security Manager and another temporary career as Public Security Agent.
Security Managers will be responsible for the strategic coordination and operational management of security activities. They will be hired through a public selection process and will receive a salary of R$19.435,07.
The Municipal Public Security Agent will carry out preventive actions aimed at protecting and ensuring public and urban security within the municipal scope, and the salary will be R$13.303,00. They will go through a selection process and will receive specific training to work on the city streets. The plan is to have 4.200 agents by the end of 2028. There will be 600 per semester. The first group should work in Rio's security in the second semester of 2025.
The selection process will be specific to officers leaving the Reserve Officer Preparation Centers (CPOR) of the Brazilian Army, and to retired officers of the Navy and Air Force. These are candidates who have military knowledge and are therefore highly qualified to perform the role.
To offer these positions to reservists, the City of Rio will establish agreements with the Ministry of Defense and the three Armed Forces. It will also talk to the Ministry of Justice to include the municipalities in the National Public Security Plan and, through the Federal Police, enable the possession of weapons for new agents of the Municipal Force.
Refoundation of the Municipal Guard
The Rio City Hall will also reestablish the Municipal Guard, using the Safe BRT program as a reference, recognized for its success and effectiveness in reducing cases of crime, violence and vandalism at BRT stations. The guards will focus on patrolling specific areas of the city: parks, beaches and sidewalks, and will be available for large events. There will also be strengthening of special groups and programs, such as Safe Traffic, which will be set up in areas with high traffic flow, to reduce accidents, improve traffic flow and reduce robberies at intersections.
The Rio de Janeiro State Police Department will have an independent oversight body to oversee the activities and conduct of municipal guards and build a more transparent and modern image. The Rio de Janeiro City Hall will also strengthen the Municipal Guard Academy, which will provide training and qualifications for officers to improve their performance in the service and improve services to citizens.
CIVITAS Expansion
To increase the effectiveness of Rio de Janeiro City Hall's security efforts, CIVITAS (Central de Inteligência, Vigilância e Tecnologia em Apoio à Segurança) will be expanded. The Center will operate in a new control room, with much more space, and will increase the number of operators. CIVITAS gathers, compiles, and analyzes all data generated by the city regarding Public Security and has provided intelligent and systematic assistance to municipal, state, and federal agencies.
