The SSP-SP crime report for January to April 2026 places the bustling beachside commercial hub of Gonzaga at the top of the crime index in Santos with 303 recorded offenses. High-traffic neighborhoods follow closely, including Centro (253), Boqueirão (219), and Vila Mathias (174), driven largely by property thefts and robberies. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Monte Serrat, Morro Cachoeira, and Vila Haddad tied as the safest sectors, logging just 1 criminal incident each.
02/06/2026 – On Tuesday (2), a truck driver was arrested inside his vehicle in the Alemoa neighborhood, for the statutory rape of his nine-year-old daughter. The case came to light on May 18 when the child confessed a month of ongoing abuse to her mother, who immediately expelled her husband from the home and filed a report with the local Women’s Defense Precinct. Following a forensic medical exam that legally confirmed the assault, a local court issued a warrant, and the suspect is currently held in the penitentiary system.
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04/06/2026 – On Thursday (4), military police arrested a serial shoplifter inside a commercial store on Marechal Deodoro Avenue in the Gonzaga neighborhood. Officers caught the suspect red-handed with a backpack stuffed with stolen merchandise, which was immediately recognized by store employees as part of a recurring pattern of thefts hitting the district.
07/06/2026 – An attempted feminicide took place on Sunday night (7), in the Embaré neighborhood, when a 44-year-old man stabbed his 50-year-old partner twice in the back. Responding to a domestic disturbance, military police caught the suspect in flagrante inside the home, where they also seized the knife and several portions of cocaine. The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition, while the assailant faces charges of attempted feminicide, domestic abuse, and resisting arrest.
10/06/2026 – On Wednesday (10), a 36-year-old morgue attendant at the Santos IML was arrested for using a deceased crash victim’s cell phone to transfer R$ 7,000 to his own bank account via Pix. The fraud was uncovered by the victim’s widow while closing his bank account, noticing the digital transfer occurred hours after his fatal motorcycle accident on May 15. The phone was returned to the family wiped of all WhatsApp data, and the Civil Police Internal Affairs unit has now jailed the employee on charges of embezzlement, theft, and destroying evidence.
10/06/2026 – On Wednesday morning (10), a 37-year-old woman was detained at the Santos Bus Terminal after a passenger discovered her taping R$ 20,000 worth of smuggled electronics to her body. ROMU municipal guards searched the suspect, recovering two iPhones 17 Pro Max, an Apple Watch, and luxury perfumes brought undeclared from Paraguay. Although handed over to the Federal Police, the suspect evaded criminal arrest due to an STJ court loophole that dismisses smuggling charges under R$ 20,000 as “insignificant,” resulting in a purely administrative release while customs seized the tech.
11/06/2026 – On Thursday (11), military police opened fire during a tactical intervention near the Atacadão market in the Macuco neighborhood after a juvenile reached into his waistband to mimic drawing a weapon. No injuries were reported, though the gunfire caused collateral damage to two parked civilian vehicles. The primary minor was apprehended with a realistic semi-automatic pistol replica, while his three fleeing companions were tracked and caught via city surveillance cameras.
12/06/2026 – On Friday morning (12), a cyclist was brutally assaulted by an electric motorcycle rider on a dedicated bike path in the Embaré neighborhood, near Canal 5, after filming the suspect’s reckless driving. The assailant kicked the victim onto the sidewalk, repeatedly stomped on his head, and destroyed his bicycle spokes before fleeing. Traffic authority CET-Santos stated they cannot legally issue traffic fines based on viral video evidence without a physical officer present, leaving the active identification of the fugitive strictly in the hands of the Civil Police.
12/06/2026 – In the Marapé neighborhood of Santos, a 17-year-old fugitive wanted for the attempted murder of a military police officer was apprehended on Friday morning (12), following a brief foot chase on Avenida Nilo Peçanha. Upon his arrest, officers discovered a retail stash of cocaine, crack, marijuana, and Dry Ice (premium hashish), alongside undocumented cash. The juvenile confessed to street-level dealing and was flagged in the system for outstanding attempted homicide and weapons warrants, leading to his immediate transfer to detention.
13/06/2026 – On Saturday morning (13), a shootout erupted between Military Police officers and armed gang members in the Morro do Pacheco after residents reported being aggressively intimidated by local gunmen. Upon police arrival, the criminals opened fire on the patrol before fleeing into the hillside trails, leaving no casualties but abandoning spent 9mm and .380 ammunition casings. A sweep of the perimeter uncovered roughly 1.3 kg of assorted narcotics, including cocaine, marijuana, and ice, alongside three digital scales, a radio communicator, and R$ 1,122.85 in cash.
14/06/2026 – In the Estuário neighborhood, a 32-year-old truck driver was arrested for a DUI on Sunday (14), after overturning his vehicle on Avenida Engenheiro Civil Sérgio da Costa Matte. The crash caused severe gridlock by spilling a massive cargo of soybeans across the highway, prompting an emergency response from the Fire Department.
16/06/2026 – In the Santa Maria neighborhood, a special education assistant was fired on Tuesday morning (16), after being caught on a hidden audio recorder abusing a non-verbal 8-year-old autistic student. The boy’s mother hid the device in his backpack, capturing the contractor ordering the child to slam his head against the wall, mocking his condition, and withholding his food.
16/06/2026 – The OAB-SP task force has logged nearly 6,000 elder and civilian fraud complaints involving a “false lawyer” scam, highlighted on Tuesday (16), by a truck driver in Santos who lost R$ 45,000. Criminal networks use automated bots to scrape real case dockets from the São Paulo Court (TJSP) and contact litigants on WhatsApp using cloned attorney profiles. The fraudsters claim a settlement is ready but demand an upfront “clearance fee” deposited into a third-party account before disappearing.
16/06/2026 – In the Ponta da Praia neighborhood of Santos, a 54-year-old career criminal was jailed on Tuesday (16), for a “Boa Noite, Cinderela” spiked-drink robbery that cost a businessman over R$ 130,000. The 3rd DP precinct revealed the suspect has a violent record, including a prior homicide conviction for killing a previous victim with a chemical overdose. In this latest attack, the predator drugged the victim, left him with facial injuries, stole luxury watches, and made R$ 70,000 in fraudulent bank transfers.
16/06/2026 – In the Rádio Clube community, three suspects were wounded during a shootout with military police on Tuesday night (16). A Military Police elite squad was patrolling Caminho São José when armed men opened fire, triggering an immediate exchange of shots. All three gunmen were taken to the hospital.
16/06/2026 – A Filipino crew member was arrested on Tuesday afternoon (16), for killing a fellow countryman aboard the tanker Horizon Emmanuel at the Port of Santos. Port Guards boarded the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel at the Ilha Barnabé terminal following reports of a severe fight, finding the victim already dead. The suspect was arrested on site and handed over to the Federal Police for maritime forensic processing, while the vessel has since been cleared to resume port operations.
17/06/2026 – On Wednesday (17), state civil police (DISE) arrested two men in Santos and Praia Grande for orchestrating a sophisticated R$ 10 million online investment scam. The criminal ring built a cloned replica of a legitimate trading broker and rented a high-end corporate office to deceive retail investors into making large deposits. The suspects hosted livestreams twice a day to fake real-time market gains and losses, pulling in R$ 500,000 weekly; police seized luxury cars and computers during the raid.
23/06/2026 – On Tuesday morning (23), an unidentified homeless man was shot and killed on Rua Sete de Setembro in downtown Santos. The shooting occurred around 7:30, and the gunman managed to flee the area before authorities could intercept him. Military Police responded to reports of gunfire and found the victim with a fatal wound to the head, with emergency SAMU medics and firefighters pronouncing him dead at the scene.
27/06/2026 – On Saturday night (27), a 25-year-old suspect was killed during a shootout with elite military police shock troops in the Rádio Clube neighborhood. Officers from the 2nd BAEP battalion were patrolling a high-risk drug trafficking zone along Caminho São José when they spotted the armed man, who immediately opened fire to evade arrest. The tactical squad returned fire and neutralized the suspect, who later died from his injuries. A handgun and a mobile phone were recovered at the scene.
28/06/2026 – On Sunday (28), Military Police units captured a 53-year-old serial burglar on Rua General Câmara in downtown Santos. The suspect, who was wanted under two preventive arrest warrants, had racked up at least seven distinct commercial thefts since being released from prison in December 2025. High-definition surveillance footage recently caught him throwing a stone through a shop window on June 25 to steal a laptop, and striking another store display on June 27, adding to a docket that included a major condominium bicycle heist in April. Following his arrest by a local patrol team, a state judge ordered the habitual offender held without bail pending formal indictment.
TRENDS & ADVICE
- Be cautious when in the vicinity of Embaré, Ponta da Praia, Campo Grande, Rádio Clube, Downtown, and Estuário.
- Never visit neighborhoods on the hills, such as Morro de São Bento, Jabaquara, Saboo, and others, since they are gang-controlled zones where shootouts occur frequently.
- Avoid passing near the VLT tunnel, in José Menino, as many drug users and homeless people stay there, especially next to the walls of the Clube dos Ingleses.
- The waterfront has many incidents of thefts and robberies (snatch and run), never display wealth, and avoid walking there during the night.
- During the Summer, risks increase, due to the bigger number of beachgoers.
- Residences in the neighborhoods of Pompeia, Gonzaga, Boqueirão, Embaré, Aparecida, Estuário, and Ponta da Praia are frequently targeted by thieves who look for bikes and items in the common areas.
- Make sure your building is well protected, with a 24/7 doorperson.
- Be cautious at all times, including in areas perceived as safe.
- Always carry a small amount of money (R$50) to hand over to muggers if attacked.
- In case of robbery: cooperate, do not try to run after the assailant, as they might be armed or resort to violence.
- In case of kidnapping:
- Cooperate in order to mitigate the risk of violence, and do not lie or provide false information to your kidnappers.
- Bear in mind that the vast majority of kidnappings are financially motivated, and nowadays they tend to be quick and focused on forcing the victims to transfer money using their cell phones.
- Attention to scams that may reach you through a WhatsApp message, e-mail, SMS, or a call.
