Rio de Janeiro City Hall begins training the third class of the Municipal Guard's Elite Division – Municipal Force.

In total, 323 students are participating in a course taught by instructors from the Federal Highway Police (PRF) and the National Public Security Secretariat (Senasp) - Marco Antonio Lima/Rio City Hall

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Cavaliere, began, this Friday (August 14th), the training of the third class of the Elite Division of the Municipal Guard – Municipal Force. The opening ceremony was held at the corporation's Academy, located at the headquarters of the Federal Highway Police (PRF) Superintendency, in Irajá, in the North Zone. In total, 323 students began the training course, a mandatory and eliminatory stage for entry into the Municipal Force.

"Today we started the training course for a new class of Municipal Force officers who are joining the Elite Division Academy of the Municipal Guard. A well-trained, well-formed, well-equipped, and well-oriented elite division. We are very proud to have another class. They have a long training ahead of them, and we hope to have another 323 Municipal Force agents on the streets of Rio by the end of the year, advancing throughout the city to continue reducing robbery and theft rates," said Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere.

The training prepares future officers for preventive and proactive policing, focusing primarily on preventing and combating robberies and thefts in areas with a higher incidence of these crimes. All participants in the training course are municipal guards who passed the Physical Aptitude Test (PAT), medical and psychological examinations, as well as a social investigation.

The ceremony was attended by the Secretary of Urban Security, Brenno Carnevale, the Director-General of the Municipal Force, Aimée De La Torre, the Mayor of Duque de Caxias, Netinho Reis, the Director of the Municipal Force Academy, Ana Maria Montandon, the Secretary of the Civil House, Leandro Matieli, as well as authorities and representatives of institutions linked to public security.

— We always emphasize the principles of the Municipal Force, and we put two of these principles into practice here at the academy. These are the thorough selection of officers through an internal procedure within the Municipal Guard, including physical and psychological tests, and their solid police training. These are career municipal guards who are already serving the city, but now with the function of policing focused on combating theft and robbery. This set of rules within the academy, along with training by the Federal Highway Police and the National Secretariat of Public Security, will ensure that the officers are effectively prepared to perform their police duties on the city streets — reinforced the Secretary of Urban Security, Brenno Carnevale.

The course, lasting approximately 500 hours, is taught by instructors from the Federal Highway Police and the National Secretariat of Public Security (Senasp). Subjects include weaponry, ammunition and shooting, approach techniques and police defense, crisis management, and human rights.

The training also includes specific content developed by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, such as the use of body cameras, security systems, standard operating procedures (SOPs), as well as guidance on the functioning of the internal affairs and ombudsman offices of the corporation.

After the completion of the training for the 323 students, the course for 48 instructors from the Municipal Force will begin. The training will also be conducted by the Federal Highway Police.

Currently, the Municipal Force is present in 12 areas of the city. Starting this Sunday (August 16th), the force will also operate in the Freguesia and Jacarepaguá areas, carrying out preventive and visible policing actions.

The new group will join the approximately 600 officers who have been on the streets since March 15th. Since the start of the operation, the officers have been responsible for more than a thousand arrests and detentions.

During that period, 233 cell phones, 213 motorcycles, and 15 necklaces were also seized and recovered, in addition to a pistol, 16 replica firearms, and 61 bladed weapons.