The number of people killed by military police officers on duty in the São Paulo state increased by 38% in the first year of the Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) administration compared to 2022. According to figures from the Public Security Secretariat (SSP), military police officers killed 353 people in 2023 compared to 256 in the previous year.
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Operation Shield
During two phases of Operation Shield in Baixada Santista alone between July and October, 36 people were killed. The first action began after the death of Rota soldier Patrick Bastos Reis, 30, during a patrol in Guarujá. The second intervention occurred after an attack on a retired military police officer in São Vicente.
São Paulo City
Of the total number of victims, 130 were killed in the city of São Paulo, which had registered 84 cases in the previous period — an increase of 54%.
Previous Period
In the previous period, from 2021 to 2022, there was a drop in the number of deaths by PMs on duty, which public security experts pointed out was related to the program of cameras attached to uniforms. The project began during the administration of former governor João Doria.
Off-duty Police Officers On the other hand, Tarcísio de Freitas’ administration managed to reduce the number of people killed by off-duty military police officers in the state by 18%. There were 24 fewer deaths in the comparison between the two years since 2023 recorded 104 cases. In the capital, incidents also declined. There were 88 deaths in 2022 and 69 in 2023, with a drop of 22%.
Analysis:
The increase was already expected by experts given the government’s policy of not investing in expanding the use of cameras on police uniforms. The guidelines launched by the political leaders of the government, the Secretariat of Public Security, and the Military Police, the dismantling of the camera program, and a low level of questioning by control bodies such as the Public Ministry, led to this significant increase in people killed by the police.
Source: Folha de São Paulo
