SUMMARY
As Brazil’s economic and political powerhouse, São Paulo continues to influence national debates on public security, governance, and urban challenges. Between late 2024 and mid-2025, the capital and its metropolitan region faced overlapping crises—from organized crime disputes and attacks on public transportation to rising police lethality, dispersal of drug users, who subsequently reconvened in other parts of the city- and the rapid expansion of surveillance technologies.
Key developments include a wave of bus vandalism across more than two dozen cities, internal fractures within the First Capital Command (PCC), and the controversial leadership of Public Security Secretary Guilherme Derrite, appointed on January 1, 2023, by Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. While official data shows a decline in major violent crimes, persistent police abuse and public pressure have led to growing demands for strategic change. At the same time, the rollout of body cameras, facial recognition systems, and performance-based bonuses has redefined policing but sparked debates over ethics, accountability, and long-term results.
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Downtown neighborhoods like Pinheiros, República, Santa Cecília, and Bom Retiro continue to report high rates of street crime, particularly cell phone thefts. These areas have also seen an influx of drug users displaced from Cracolândia after recent police operations, raising concerns about rising opportunistic crime and deepening urban vulnerability.
Together, these dynamics highlight a city balancing technological modernization with unresolved structural challenges—at a pivotal moment for public security.
Bus Attack
Since 12 June, São Paulo has recorded over 530 attacks on buses, while nearly 800 similar incidents have occurred across 27 cities in the metropolitan region between 1 June and 17 July. The wave of violence has created widespread fear among drivers and passengers, particularly in the South and West zones of the capital, which account for approximately 80% of the cases, according to the State Department of Criminal Investigations (DEIC).
Authorities now believe the attacks are linked to a power struggle within the drivers’ union and disputes between transportation companies. Although early reports pointed to possible First Capital Command (PCC), São Paulo’s most powerful criminal faction, involvement, authorities later dismissed this theory. However, as São Paulo’s underworld grows increasingly fragmented, new criminal dynamics continue to emerge.
On Friday (18/07), a man was arrested on suspicion of vandalizing buses in São Bernardo do Campo and other cities in Greater São Paulo and confessed to damaging 16 buses on 17 July, according to the Civil Police. Investigators believe the crimes were premeditated and that the suspect may have recruited others to participate in the attacks. One of the incidents attributed to him occurred on Jorge João Saad Avenue, in the Morumbi region of São Paulo, where a passenger was struck in the face by a rock, resulting in multiple facial fractures. In addition to the possible relation with power struggles within the drivers’ union and disputes between transportation companies, authorities believe that the incidents also led to a herd effect, motivating many people, for a multitude of reasons, to carry out the same actions.
Fragmentation of the PCC
A silent, behind-the-scenes conflict appears to be fracturing the First Capital Command (PCC),. The rupture centers on a serious accusation: snitching. Abel Pacheco, known as Vida Loka, accuses the PCC’s longtime leader, Marcos Willians Camacho (Marcola), of betraying fellow member Roberto Soriano (Tiriça) for linking him to the 2016 murder of federal prison officer Alex Belarmino. The accusation stems from a 2022 recording in which Marcola allegedly suggested to a federal prison official that Soriano was responsible for the crime.
Vida Loka and another senior PCC figure, Andinho, confronted Marcola, who initially denied the authenticity of the audio. However, a technical analysis confirmed the recording was unchanged. In response, Vida Loka declared Marcola “excluded from the world of crime.” Still, most PCC members on the outside continue to back Marcola, deepening internal divisions. Researchers argue that this internal rift could destabilize the faction’s long-standing unity and alter São Paulo’s criminal landscape.
Compounding the instability, the Red Command (CV)—a rival faction with headquarter in Rio de Janeiro—has begun expanding into São Paulo’s interior. A recent police operation in May in Limeira arrested nine people, including law enforcement agents, accused of targeting PCC members on behalf of CV to gain control of drug and weapons routes.
This fragmentation has placed further pressure on São Paulo’s public security system, which is already under fire for controversial policies and rising violence.
Police Violence
The murder of a subdued suspect by two military police officers during an operation on 10 July in the Paraisópolis favela shocked São Paulo and renewed criticism of the state’s approach to policing. The images of the killing raised growing concern over the administration of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas and his Public Security Secretary, Guilherme Derrite—a staunch advocate of hardline policing. The case adds to a troubling series of violent incidents: a carpenter mistaken for a robber shot in the head by an off-duty officer in early July; a child killed during a police operation in November 2024; and a teenager purposely thrown off a bridge by an officer during a search in December.
Under Derrite’s leadership, the number of people killed by on-duty police officers rose sharply—from 256 in 2022 to 649 in 2024, with 814 such deaths recorded that year when including off-duty cases. The first quarter of 2025 registered 163 fatalities. This rise contrasts with a national trend of declining police lethality, as Brazil saw a 4.02% decrease in such incidents between 2023 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Despite these concerns, data from the São Paulo Public Security Department for the first five months of 2025 point to a general decline in major violent crimes. Intentional homicides fell by 1%, while robberies and vehicle thefts dropped 17% and 11%, respectively. The number of deaths after robberies fell by a significant 27%. However, general theft increased by 2%, making it the only indicator to show growth during the period, albeit modest.
Facing political pressure and internal dissent, Derrite is expected to step down from his post by the end of the year to pursue a Senate seat. His departure comes as the state faces new security challenges—including the worsening dynamics surrounding São Paulo’s notorious Cracolândia region.
Crime Hotspots in São Paulo
In the first two months of 2025, the city of São Paulo recorded 29,169 cell phone thefts and robberies—equivalent to one device stolen every three minutes. Although this figure reflects a 5% drop compared to the same period in 2024, the distribution of these crimes remains concentrated in key urban areas. The West Zone and Downtown neighborhoods continue to rank highest, particularly Pinheiros, which reported 1,023 cases—about 17 per day—making it the most dangerous neighborhood for cell phone owners. Avenida Paulista leads as the most dangerous street, with 469 recorded thefts and robberies, followed by Avenida Cruzeiro do Sul, Praça da Luz, and Rua Augusta.
Five of the ten neighborhoods with the highest crime rates—Bela Vista, Bom Retiro, República, Consolação, and Santa Cecília—are in the central region, where public streets account for 80% of incidents. Bus terminals and transit stations represent another 10%.
This concentration of street crime overlaps with broader shifts tied to Cracolândia. Following intensified police operations since May 2024, open-air drug users have dispersed across downtown. New “flows” of users have emerged in neighborhoods already burdened by high crime, raising concerns about increased vulnerability, reduced access to care, and potential links to opportunistic thefts.
Technology and Security
In response to growing security challenges, São Paulo authorities have increasingly turned to technology-based solutions—from facial recognition and surveillance networks to performance-based incentives and remotely activated body cameras. These tools, while promising, also bring new questions about transparency, ethics, and long-term effectiveness.
São Paulo has intensified its reliance on technology to modernize public security, but recent developments reveal both progress and concern. In 2024, the state government overhauled its body camera policy for military police. Previously, cameras recorded continuously during shifts. Under the new model, recording is no longer uninterrupted. Instead, cameras can be activated remotely by the command center (COPOM), triggered automatically via Bluetooth within a 10-meter range, and resume recording within one minute if manually turned off—retaining prior footage. Use is now mandatory during large-scale operations, raids in vulnerable communities, and responses to attacks on police officers. In parallel, public defenders and prosecutors gained extrajudicial access to footage, improving oversight.
At the city level, the Smart Sampa surveillance system has become a key feature of the city’s security strategy. In six months, facial recognition technology helped arrest 1,153 fugitives and locate 68 missing persons. Still, 23 misidentifications have raised concerns about privacy and due process. With plans to expand to 100,000 cameras by 2028, transparency remains a sticking point, as promised public reports on system performance have yet to be released.
As São Paulo embraces data-driven policing, questions about ethical safeguards, accountability, and long-term impact persist—factors that will shape public security policy in the years to come.
Trends and Perspectives
São Paulo’s current public security model stands under pressure—balancing technological advances with persistent operational and structural challenges. The rollout of expanded surveillance systems, facial recognition programs, and reformed body camera policies signals a commitment to modernization. However, these tools coexist with rising police lethality, fragmented criminal networks, and policies that often prioritize short-term control over sustainable solutions.
Recent efforts to disperse open-air drug scenes and expand monitoring capabilities have produced visible results but raised questions about transparency, ethics, and long-term impact. Critics argue that while visibility and control may offer immediate relief, they often fail to address the root causes of violence, vulnerability, and social exclusion.
The core question remains: will São Paulo shift toward a more integrated and rights-based approach to public security, or will it continue to rely on reactive and fragmented measures? A sustainable model will require not only investment in technology but also commitment to institutional accountability, data-driven planning, and inclusive urban policies. As 2025 progresses, the city stands at a defining moment—one that will shape the trajectory of public security for years to come.
