About 59% of Brazilians evaluate the work of the Military Police (PM) in their states as “positive“, according to an unprecedented survey by the Genial/Quaest Institute. In contrast, 10% of the population have a negative opinion of the corporation, while 28% are neutral.
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According to the survey, Santa Catarina is the state where the PM has the highest approval, with 74% of favorable mentions. In second is Ceará (71%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (67%). At the other extreme, Rio de Janeiro leads by far in the rejection rate, with 18% negative ratings and 41% neutral ratings. Pernambuco, with 13% of negative opinions, is second, ahead of Piauí and Bahia — both with 12%.
Income
Research shows that people with greater purchasing power are more sympathetic to the Military Police (PM). Among those with high incomes, the positive assessment is 61%. While approval among low-income earners is 55%.
Age
It also exposes that older people have a more favorable opinion than younger people. In the 60+ age group, 64% see a positive image of the Military Police. Among those aged 16 to 34, this rate is 57%.
Race
As for race, blacks tend to have a more negative view of police corporations than whites and browns. In the first group, 55% responded positively, while in the other two this number is 60%.
Our Analysis:
The Military Police receives constant criticism about its performance. Part of the problem is due to the various difficulties faced by the corporation. A survey carried out by UOL shows that most Brazilian Military Police (PMs) have staff below the ideal established in the respective state laws. Another criticism of the PMs performance is in relation to police lethality. In 2020, even with the covid-19 pandemic restricting the movement of people, Brazilian police forces broke a record in deaths from police interventions. According to data from the Public Security Yearbook, 6,416 people were killed by police officers. The black population continues to be the main victims, corresponding to 78.9% of cases. In addition to the issue of race, these numbers also represent the racial inequality in the country, since the black population is also vulnerable in other socioeconomic indicators such as income and housing.
Source: O Globo
