In recent weeks, a series of police cases have gained national attention and placed the police’s actions under scrutiny.
These incidents, added to the increase in police lethality in the state, intensified debates about the conduct of security forces, action protocols and accountability of agents.
The analysis carried out by the Palver platform, which monitors more than 90 thousand public groups, provides an overview of the reactions and discourses around the topic.
The monitoring considered mentions of the Military Police, body cameras and, jointly, the governor and the Secretary of Public Security, .
In total, 73% of the references were directed to the PM, 16% involved Tarcísio and Derrite and 11% dealt with the cameras. Between December 1st and 6th, mentions of the PM increased by around 291%, mentions of body cameras grew by 333% and, in the case of the governor and secretary, the increase was approximately 589%.
In right-aligned groups, the tone is multifaceted. Some of the participants adopt a radical position, defending more lethal actions by the PM and the summary elimination of “vagabonds”. These users celebrate violence as a necessary instrument against crime, relativize the occurrences and claim that the media does not show the “complete context”.
Others, however, demonstrate disappointment with current police conduct, arguing that the PM has lost the ability to inspire fear in “real criminals” and has started to victimize innocent people, damaging its own legitimacy.
There are those who mention that the police have become corrupted over time, becoming unpredictable and less reliable. Suggestions also appear that the population should be armed and trained, making the existence of the PM less relevant. In this sense, police authority is questioned, and reflections arise about a security model in which the PM would be dispensable.
Even in these right-wing groups, the use of body cameras arouses ambiguous reactions. While some consider the measure necessary to curb excesses and offer visual evidence in the face of accusations, others fear that the constant filming will end up limiting police action, weakening work on the streets.
In groups aligned to the left, the tone is one of repudiation and indignation at police violence. The messages highlight a historical pattern of brutality by the São Paulo Military Police, dating back to , the Carandiru massacre and massacres in favelas, showing that violence is not something recent or isolated. The victim’s color and social position become central in the analysis, with the perception that black, poor and peripheral people are targets of the State’s lethal force.
If, on the one hand, the government’s change in stance regarding the use of body cameras is seen as a recognition of the seriousness of the situation, on the other it is viewed with skepticism, since, from the perspective of these groups, such measures will only have a real effect if accompanied by structural reforms and a radical review of the public security model.
The debate in WhatsApp groups reflects the polarization around the topic and highlights the deterioration of the image of the police institution, reflected and amplified in these groups. The loss of trust in the police hinders collaboration between civil society and security forces, making solving crimes and preventing violence more complex.
When the population starts to see police officers as oppressive agents instead of protectors, dialogue becomes empty and the feeling of insecurity intensifies. This scenario is essential in democracies, where the legitimacy of institutions depends on the respect of civil society. Thus, the deterioration of the police image not only undermines the effectiveness of agents’ daily work, but also undermines fundamental principles of coexistence, security and justice.
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