The Military Police (PM) began Operation Summer 2024 on Saturday, 14 September, reinforcing policing along the entire coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The objective of the operation is to ensure security in areas with a large flow of tourists, mainly on the beaches of the capital and coastal cities, as well as highways and expressways that provide access to these locations. Approximately 1,250 military police officers will be mobilized daily.
Problems in 2023
The project, last year, was the subject of controversy over the seizures of minors. The security agencies, along with the court and social assistance made a deal and defined new rules for approaches to children and adolescents. Among them is the accompaniment of approach to minors by tutelary counselors.
1,250 police officers
According to the PM, 1,250 military police will be employed daily, throughout the state, with special attention to the capital of the capital and coastal cities, as well as expressways and highways of access to cities with the highest tourist influx. Throughout the state’s coastal strip, patrolling will be applied to roads with vehicles and motorcycles, as well as quads in the sand strip. On the beaches of the highest movement, there will be tents as points of support for the police and reference to the population.
Postponement
The operation would start on the 7th, but the day before, a court decision suspended the operation. The suspension was due to the absence of representatives of the City of Rio at the action planning meeting.
In the capital
In the capital, Operation Summer 2024/2025, there will be more concentrated policing in the area between Leme and Pontal, which will have the use of horses of the Mounted Police Regiment (RPMont) and dogs of the Battalion of Dogs with Dogs (BAC).
South and West Zone
Reinforced patrolling will also contemplate the internal streets of the neighborhoods of the South and West Zones. Policing the structural corridors of access to the waterfront will have the reinforcement of police. Throughout these roads, buses that travel toward the waterfront will be monitored and may be intercepted if actions are found to endanger security in public transport. There will still be actions at bus terminals and subway stations.
Analysis:
Operation Summer 2024 is taking place in a scenario where the increase in the flow of tourists and high temperatures contribute to an increase in crimes against property, such as theft and robbery. This phenomenon is common in coastal regions, where the concentration of people on beaches and public areas increases the risk of opportunistic crimes.
Tourists, often inattentive and carrying valuables such as cell phones, wallets, and cameras, become easy targets for criminals. In addition, the intense heat causes more circulation on the streets and leisure areas, creating more opportunities for criminal actions. Large crowds make it difficult to quickly identify suspects, allowing criminals to act more easily and blend in with the public.
Operation Summer aims to mitigate this seasonal increase in crimes, focusing on areas with greater tourist movement, such as beaches and access roads. The presence of visible policing is crucial to inhibit the action of gangs specialized in thefts, which often act in groups to steal goods from tourists in an organized and discreet manner.
Sources: Extra; CNN; Agência Brasil; G1.
