Crime in Brazil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crime in Brazil includes drug trafficking, Loan shark, money laundering, extortion, murder for hire, fraud, human trafficking, corruption, and black marketing. Brazil's homicide rate has been well over 20.0 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, which places the country among the top 20 countries by intentional homicide rate.[1] The murder rate varies wildly across such a large country and some regions have much lower homicide rates than others. According to the U.S. Department of State, a majority of crimes are not solved.[2]
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[edit] Current problems
Brazil has serious problems with crime, especially in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Salvador, Porto Alegre and Recife with highest homicides rates by aggression in the country.[3] With roughly 23.8 homicides per 100,000 residents,[4] muggings, robberies, kidnappings[5] and gang violence[6] are common. Police brutality and corruption are widespread.[7][8] Inefficient public services,[9][10][11] especially those related to security, education and health, severely affect quality of life. Organized crime is well established in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and include some major criminal organizations like Comando Vermelho, Amigos dos Amigos and Primeiro Comando da Capital. In 2006 46,660 people were murdered in Brazil--a reduction when compared to 2005, during which 47,578 people were killed. The year of 2003 still holds the record for total number of murders in Brazil; that year alone 51,043 people were murdered.[12] Computer hacking and internet fraud have a strong presence in Brazil, with eight out of every ten of the world's hackers from Brazil.[13]
Brasilia, the capital, was once spared the crime rates of other Brazilian cities, but now has significant crime problems.[14] Following the citywide trend of previous years, reports of residential burglaries continue to occur in the generally affluent residential sections of the city. Public transportation, hotel sectors and tourist areas are still the locations with the highest crime rates,[14] though statistics show that incidents can happen anywhere and at anytime. The majority of kidnappings in Brasilia continue to be the “quicknappings.”[14]
Carjacking is common, particularly in major cities. Local citizens and visitors alike are often targeted by criminals, especially during public festivals such as the Carnaval.[15] More than 500,000 people have been killed by firearms in Brazil between 1979 and 2003, according to a new report by the United Nations.[16]
Gang-related violence is common throughout the Capital Brasilia. Most incidents have been directed at police, security officials and related facilities but gangs have also attacked official buildings, set alight public buses and robbed several banks.[17] May 2006 São Paulo violence began on the night of 12 May 2006 in São Paulo, Brazil. It was the worst outbreak of violence which has been recorded in Brazilian history and was directed against security forces and some civilian targets. By May 14 the attacks had spread to other Brazilian states including Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais and Bahia.
Express kidnappings, where individuals are abducted and forced to withdraw funds from ATM machines to secure their release, are common in major cities including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasilia,Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Salvador and Recife.[18] Petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag snatching is common. Thieves operate in outdoor markets, in hotels and on public transport.
Cases of piracy occur in some coastal areas of Brazil. Brazil has a long coast line with hundreds of bays and rivers. Most of these are believed to be without pirates. The more dangerous activities seemed to be centred around the Amazon river mouth and the region of Santos or Forteleza.[19]
[edit] Efforts to combat crime
[edit] The National Security Force
The National Public Security Force (NPSF) was established in June 2004 by the Ministry of Justice, to act in emergency situations. The NPSF is controlled by the National Security Bureau (Secretaria Nacional de Segurança) and brings together the best police states and the Federal Police. This group of elite police officers, similar to the American model of SWAT teams, was inspired by the peace forces of the United Nations (UN). With the setting up of troops, the federal government wanted to prevent the transmission of the Armed Forces to assist the state police in the fight against crime.
[edit] BOPE
BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais, or Special Police Operations Battalion), is the elite group of the Military Police. BOPE's exist in Brasília, São José and in many other cities. The most famous or infamous BOPE, is the BOPE-PMRJ (PMRJ being the 'Rio de Janeiro military police). Their missions are: break barricades constructed by drug traffickers; extract police officers or civilians injured in confrontations; serve high-risk arrest warrants; hostage rescues; suppress prison rebellions; and conduct special missions in rough terrain such as swamps or mountainous areas. Other states in Brazil have different names for their special operations groups.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Brazil murder rate similar to war zone, The New Zealand Herald
- ^ Brazil - Country Specific Information, Bureau of Consular Affairs
- ^ "Obit rate by aggression" (in Portuguese). DATASUS. 2005. http://tabnet.datasus.gov.br/cgi/deftohtm.exe?sim/cnv/extbr.def. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
- ^ "No end of Violence". April 12, 2007. http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8952551. Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
- ^ BBC News "Brazil's evolving kidnap culture" retrieved 2007-08-24
- ^ BBC News "Gang violence grips Brazil state" retrieved 2007-08-22
- ^ Human Rights Report "Police brutality in urban Brazil" retrieved 2007-08-24
- ^ Amnesty International "Violence in Brazil" retrieved 2007-08-24
- ^ FT.com, "Brazil ‘must lift barriers’ to new infrastructure" retrieved 2007-08-22
- ^ World Bank report,"How to Revitalize Infrastructure Investments in Brazil", vol.1, retrieved 2007-08-22
- ^ World Bank report, "How to Revitalize Infrastructure Investments in Brazil", vol.2, retrieved 2007-08-22
- ^ O DIA Online - Rio no mapa da morte
- ^ Brazil is world 'hacking capital'
- ^ a b c Brazil
- ^ BBC NEWS Americas | Violence mars Rio carnival dawn
- ^ BBC NEWS Americas | UN highlights Brazil gun crisis
- ^ BBC NEWS World | Americas | Gang violence grips Brazil state
- ^ Travel Report for Brazil
- ^ Yacht Piracy - Information Centre for Bluewater Sailors
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