Police approaches need to follow sensible rules. In recent weeks, the country has witnessed episodes that exposed abuses, excesses, malpractice or, at the very least, unpreparedness on the part of law enforcement agents in their mission to protect innocent and unarmed citizens. In the most recent case, a 26-year-old woman was shot in the head during an approach by traffic police officers while she was going with her family to Christmas dinner.
Car in which young woman was shot during PRF approach on BR-040 — Photo: Reproduction/ 25-12-2024
On the same day, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security published a decree establishing rules for police approaches. Among the main guidelines, it determines that agents will only be able to resort to force “when other less intense resources are not sufficient”. Firearms must be a “last resort” and cannot be used against anyone who is unarmed, even if they are fleeing, or against vehicles that do not respect roadblocks. The decree also stipulates that the level of force must be compatible with the threat. It is expected that the government will offer training to security professionals. Everyone must participate in mandatory training. The Ministry of Justice will create a National Committee for Monitoring the Use of Force, responsible for monitoring indicators in police actions.
The day before the end of year festivities may not have been the right time to publish the decree. And, in the case of measures that involve the sensitive topic of public security, a constitutional task of the states, the matter should have been discussed extensively with governors, Congress and society. But the succession of tragic episodes raises a mature debate about the limits of the use of force. This discussion can still be carried out in detail, as the decree remains to be regulated.
The concern of governors with the stagnation of police work is sensible, at a time when the country is experiencing a serious security crisis. The rules of the federal decree are not mandatory, but states that receive resources from public security and prison funds will need to follow them, and this in practice imposes the obligation. The governor of Rio, Cláudio Castro (PL), called it absurd and promised to appeal to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to stop it. The governor of Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado (União), stated that it is a “Christmas gift” to organized crime. In the Chamber, parliamentarians from the bullet bench are already moving to stop him. Without consensus, the tendency is for resistance to increase. Just as Castro blames the restrictions imposed by the STF on operations in favelas for Rio’s violence rates, governors will end up blaming the new rules for any worsening in security.
It is essential that the decree does not lead to inaction by the police, who need to have autonomy in combating violence. But it is also essential that the approaches take place in a way that preserves the innocent. Recent actions go far beyond the law and common sense. Throwing someone off a bridge or shooting an unarmed boy at close range are acts that should, at the very least, lead to reflection on the training of agents and approach methods. These are not sporadic or localized cases, as the police fatality rates attest. There should be no political contamination in such a matter. It is technical in nature and must be governed by common sense. The role of the police is to protect citizens, not attack them.
