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The region of (DF) is the most populous in the federal capital with more than 287 thousand residents, according to the Expanded District Household Sample Survey (PDAD-A). In the heart of the city, the Center of Ceilândia is a space with intense commercial activity, but which faces a scenario of threats, fights and insecurity.
In the video above, the Metropolises gathered records of violence in the middle of the street, which portray a scenario of fear. For some, the city has become an open-air ring in broad daylight, while residents and traders walk around the place. Whether in a parking lot, on a residential street or even in a pharmacy in front of the 15th Police Station (Ceilândia Centro), cases of crimes against property continue to be registered and start to increasingly frighten those who pass by and live there.
In a survey carried out by the Technical and Statistical Analysis Division () of the Civil Police of the Federal District (PCDF), it is possible to identify that crimes classified as against property have grown significantly in the region, in the comparison between January and October of this year and 2024. The data reveals significant increases in types such as commercial theft, collective theft, reception, in addition to different types of fraud.
In 2025, 319 commercial thefts were recorded, which is equivalent to one increase 51.2% of cases compared to data from the same time last year. While theft in collectives also accompanied a 55% growth in occurrences, going from 129 to 200.
The crime with the biggest proportional increase was damage to public property, which went from 9 to 36 records, resulting in a 300% increase. Also noteworthy are the increases in theft in public bodies, which increased by 228.6% (from 7 to 23 incidents), and theft in educational establishments, which increased by 183.3% (from 6 to 17 cases).
Crimes with a high incidence in the region also saw growth, such as cell phone theft, which rose 9%, reaching 834 cases, and theft from passers-by, which increased 9.5%, totaling 795 incidents.
Lack of rigor in justice
The chief delegate of the 15th DP, Ataliba Neto, explains that the increase in cases is “totally correlated” with the increase in homeless people living in the Center of Ceilândia. The majority, according to Ataliba, are drug addicts who seek to take advantage of “legislative and judicial weakness”.
“The legislation is mild. We arrest an individual who has already been arrested several times, but he goes through the custody hearing and is put out on the street again. So he is certain that he will not be convicted, that he will not stay in prison for long and risk committing the crime again. It is the certainty of impunity”, he said.
He also reinforces that, because the region is busy, criminals end up taking advantage of the “crowding” and “distraction” of people who usually walk there. According to the Ceilância Commercial Association (Acic), 120 thousand people, including drivers and pedestrians, pass through the region every day.
“There are many cases in which they look for people who are getting on the bus. They bump into the person, pretend that the bus is full and end up taking the other person’s cell phone. So these are crimes of opportunity, in which, normally, they look for elderly people and women”, he explained.
As a way of controlling the number of incidents, Ataliba highlights that the teams have intensified investigations and actions on site, seeking to dismantle theft gangs, which have “infiltrators” among dependents in the region.
“We work day in and day out, several people are caught in the area, but there are several people acting. And normally it is the small drug dealers that we end up arresting who are at the forefront. So we continue working, with operations both for property purposes and to repress drug trafficking, because we know that a large part is fueled by drug trafficking”, he highlighted.
Watch other cases that happened in the region in recent months:
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Social vulnerability
For public security specialist, Renato Araújo, the current scenario of crime against property in the central region of Ceilândia is “a systemic and complex result of structural socioeconomic vulnerabilities and failures in public security management”.
The primary cause would be deeply rooted in social issues, such as social vulnerability and chemical dependency, since people linked to these two situations would have “discernment compromised by addiction”. “The weakness in social prevention ends up creating an environment conducive to the escalation of crimes”, he explained.
This Monday (17/11), for example, Papelaria Issi, located in the commercial block of CNM 2, a situation that would have caused confusion and prevented the start of service.
According to trader Walef Issi, 32, son of Abrão Pereira Issi, owner of the stationery store, 82, the group refused to leave the store’s door, even after insistent requests. “When only one person remains in the place, it is usually possible to ask them to leave. But, when they are in a group, it is scary. They fight each other with stones and knives.”
The vulnerable situation, according to the expert, is explained by the high population density and logistical complexity that facilitate “criminal action”, which resides in the “risk-benefit calculation of the criminal agent”.
“They often perceive property crimes of opportunity, such as theft or robbery, to be the most immediate (although destructive) means of sustenance or access to drugs. The high liquidity of the stolen assets, combined with the perceived low probability of being arrested and punished in an exemplary manner, and the certainty that the reception network will quickly absorb the proceeds of crime, make criminal activity recurrent and profitable”, he added.
In this way, the insecurity of the place ends up being fueled by informal commerce, in which even objects stolen in the region start to be sold, thus converting theft into a profitable activity.
In a note, the Military Police of the Federal District (PMDF) states that the identification of crimes against property in the region are motivated precisely by “obtaining objects or valuables to purchase drugs”.
Beyond the social root
The expert highlights that, despite the vulnerable situation in the region, there are still flaws in police action that end up reflecting on the current scenario, especially in prevention. For him, overt policing, for example, presents a certain ineffectiveness in strategic terms.
“By itself, [o policiamento ostensivo] it is not enough to fully inhibit these types of crimes, although it is an essential component. It is crucial to highlight that the failure in police prevention is not limited to the mere absence of physical presence, but to failures in public security intelligence. This includes the lack of mapping and prior analysis of the modus operandi of criminal groups and their preferred targets”, he highlighted.
In this way, according to Araújo, the predictability of actions ends up allowing a recurrence to establish itself as a vicious cycle. For him, one way to combat this would be through the implementation of more “intensive” and “georeferenced” policing, with measures such as:
- Intensified patrolling;
- Changing routes at peak incidence times and locations, based on criminal analysis;
- Qualified repression;
- Mapping and preventing the movement of criminal groups;
- Allocation of police resources more efficiently.
Integrated actions
The current overt policing has been carried out jointly by the 8th and 10th Military Police Battalion (BPM), which claim to have intensified operations in areas with the greatest circulation of residents and commerce. Furthermore, the corporation also highlights that:
“Preventive policing is structured with radio patrolling and tactical patrolling teams, both motorized and on foot, throughout the day and reinforcement is applied on days and times of greater commercial circulation.”
Another point highlighted by the corporation in relation to security actions carried out on site are integrated operations. Among the most recent, we highlight ensuring the reinforcement of the prevention of crimes against property at the end of the year.
However, there is also work in conjunction with other supervisory bodies in the region.
According to the Regional Administration of Ceilândia, together with the PMDF and Sedes-DF, constant urban reorganization operations have been carried out in the central region of the city.
Since the beginning of November, five operations have been carried out near the Feira do Rolo and also at the Community Restaurant, resulting in the seizure of bladed weapons, as well as goods of dubious origin and without receipts, with the aim of curbing irregular trade.
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The most recent action was carried out on November 4th
Disclosure/Regional Administration of Ceilândia
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During the operation, teams seized goods without receipts and of dubious origin, possibly linked to theft crimes.
Disclosure/Regional Administration of Ceilândia
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This is one of the measures carried out jointly between security and inspection bodies
Disclosure/Regional Administration of Ceilândia
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The initiative seeks not only to combat illegal practices, but also to reinforce the feeling of security
Disclosure/Regional Administration of Ceilândia
Also aiming for social prevention at the site, the State Secretariat for the Protection of the Urban Order of the Federal District (DF Legal) claims to have intensified operations at the site, together with the Regional Administration of Ceilândia.
“Since 2024, at least 30 actions have been registered in the area. These actions are carried out in a routine and planned manner, in accordance with DF Legal’s internal operations schedule. The objective is to reestablish public order, return regular use of squares and roads to society and, together with other security bodies, contribute to reducing levels of violence and feelings of insecurity”, he added in a note.
Therefore, social prevention can, in a certain way, be implemented through these integration actions, in addition to helping to reduce the motivation for robbery in the region, repressing the local reception market.
“With the actions carried out by multidisciplinary social assistance and health teams, it is possible to remove homeless individuals and their dependence on the addiction-crime cycle. As long as there is still adequate reintegration”, he added.
