Deaths committed by military police officers in the state of São Paulo increased by 65% in 2024, compared to 2023, according to data from the Special Action Group on Public Security and External Control of Police Activity, of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. From 1 January to 31 December, 2024, 760 people were killed by military police, compared to 460 in 2023. Of these 760 deaths, 640 were committed by police officers on duty, and 120 were off duty. An average of two people killed per day. If you consider all police forces, such as the Civil Police and the Civil Guards, deaths increased by 54% in 2024 (from 542 to 835).
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Between 1 January and 29 December 2024, 12,227 police reports related to robberies or thefts were registered in the region popularly known as Cracolândiaaccording to the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat (SSP-SP). On average, 33 crimes of this type were recorded per day in the downtown region. Cell phone is the object most targeted by criminals, according to police reports. There are also reports of robberies and thefts of wallets, money, and entire purses or backpacks, as well as looting of stores.
According to a survey made by Record, the number of robberies thefts, and scams targeting elderly people has increased significantly in São Paulo. The survey has pointed out that from January to November 2024, 206 people aged over 60 years old have had objects stolen. Another group of people that has become a preferred target of robbers is ride-sharing drivers.
On average, a police report for threatening women was registered every 5 minutes last year (2024) in the state of São Paulo, according to data from the Public Security Secretariat (SSP). According to the ministry, until November 2024, 97,434 police reports of threats against women were registered. The numbers for December have not yet been made available by the SSP. In 2023, 97,920 records of the same type of crime were made. The same victim may have made more than one record. In the first 11 months of last year, there were more than 290 threats against women registered per day, which represents 12 threats per hour in the state.
01/01/2025 – An attempted theft on Rua das Palmeiras, in Santa Cecília, Central Zone, ended in a police chase in the early hours of Wednesday (01/01). The chase involved several police vehicles and ended on Marginal Pinheiros, South Zone when the criminals’ car ran out of gasoline. The three men who were in the vehicle were arrested. According to the Public Security Secretariat, the car was stolen, and the license plate had been changed.
01/01/2025 – A 9-year-old boy was hit by a stray bullet in the back of the head during the New Year’s Eve celebration in the region of São Mateus, East Zone, on Wednesday (01/01), just after midnight. Minutes before being shot, the child was with his family watching the fireworks.
04/01/2025 – A 55-year-old man died on Saturday afternoon (04/1), after being hit by a motorcyclist who was driving on Avenida Doutor Frederico Martins da Costa Carvalho, in the region of Sapopemba, East Zone. The victim was with his 6-year-old grandson, who was seriously injured. The motorcyclist was arrested.
05/01/2025 – A 27-year-old man died on Sunday (05/01) after being stabbed by his girlfriend on 12/28, in Vila Clementino, South Zone. The couple had a history of troubled relationships, with episodes of violence. The victim had convictions for domestic violence and a protective order that prevented him from approaching the woman. On the day of the attack, witnesses reported that he appeared drunk and aggressive. She claimed self-defense after stabbing him in the chest.
07/01/2025 – The Civil Police arrested on Tuesday (07/01) ten people involved in the theft of the warehouse of a synthetic turf company, a supplier of the Allianz Parque stadium, on 23 December. Approximately 10,000 m² of grass was recovered and distributed in four trucks parked on a property in Parque Novo Mundo, North Zone.
07/01/2025 – A man threatened a child with a knife during an attempted robbery at an electronics store, on Tuesday (07/01), in Santa Efigênia, Centro. A store employee helped restrain the criminal until the arrival of the authorities. With a joint action, the Military Police and the Metropolitan Civil Guard used a stun gun to immobilize and arrest him.
08/01/2025 – A 41-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday (08/01) in the region of Jardim Penha, East Zone, suspected of laundering money for the PCC. On the run for robbery and trafficking, he was captured while driving with a fake driver’s license. He used pharmacies to hide illicit profits and disguised himself as a security guard.
10/01/2025 – A 16-year-old girl was shot dead on Capitão Pucci Street, in Guaianases, East Zone, in the early hours of Friday (10/01). According to the family, she was shot by a military police officer’s gun during an approach. The São Paulo Public Security Secretariat reported that a PM was arrested and had his weapon collected.
10/01/2025 – A 52-year-old man sentenced to 73 years in prison for rape was arrested on Friday morning (10) on Rua da 25 de Março, Centro, after being recognized by the São Paulo monitoring system. According to the Civil Police, he is accused of raping at least 17 women. The suspect has been on the run since October last year.
11/01/2025 – A retired military police officer was shot on Saturday morning (11/01) during an attempted robbery on Rua Henrique Sam Mindlin, in Capão Redondo, South Zone. The victim was rescued, but the criminal fled.
14/01/2025 – A 26-year-old man, who was a fugitive from justice, was arrested on Tuesday (14/01), while trying to get a duplicate of his identity document at Poupatempo in Itaquera, East Zone. The suspect is accused of killing and dismembering a Paraguayan man in an apartment in the Brás region, in the Center. The victim’s body was found on 4 December. Its members were inside garbage bags. Upon being arrested, he confessed the authorship of the homicide.
14/01/2025 – A 33-year-old Civil Police Chief was shot dead on Tuesday morning (14/01) in Chácara Santo Antônio, in the Santo Amaro neighborhood, South Zone. A security camera recorded the crime. He was rescued but did not resist his injuries.
16/01/2025 – The Internal Affairs Office of the Military Police arrested, on Thursday (16/01), 15 police officers suspected of involvement in the death of businessman Vinícius Gritzbach, a PCC whistleblower. Gritzbach was killed in November last year at São Paulo International Airport, in Guarulhos. One of the prisoners is named as the person who shot Gritzbach. The other 14 prisoners were from the whistleblower’s personal security. At least five of those arrested served in the First Battalion of Riot Police, ROTA, an elite troop of the Military Police of São Paulo.
19/01/2025 – A ride-sharing driver was robbed by two passengers on Sunday afternoon (19) in Perus neighborhood, in São Paulo northwest. The pair boarded the vehicle on Francisco Bellazzi Street, in Jardim Jaraguá, heading to the Perus train station, a journey of about 10 km. Halfway there, on the Perus road, the men announced the robbery. According to the driver, they demanded his wallet, money, and cell phone. The victim was left at the scene, while the men fled with the vehicle.
20/01/2025 – Three men robbed a drugstore in Vila Mariana, São Paulo South Zone, and killed one of the suspects. An off-duty military police officer was nearby and killed one of the criminals. The incident occurred around 11:30, on Rua Humberto I. Two men managed to escape and were not located until publication.
20/01/2025 – One man torched the house of his ex-girlfriend after an argument, in São Paulo East Zone. Nobody was arrested.
21/01/2025 – An armed man robbed a gas station in Tatuapé neighborhood, São Paulo East zone, at 01:00. Nobody was arrested. The same criminal, a 58-year-old man robbed other gas stations but was eventually arrested.
22/01/2025 – A group of motorcycle taxi drivers protested against the ban on the service in front of the São Paulo City Hall building, in downtown São Paulo, on Tuesday afternoon (22). Traffic on the Chá viaduct was blocked. Using a sound system, the motorcycle taxi drivers chanted slogans against the ban on the service. Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) is fighting a legal battle against the ride-sharing company 99 to block the motorcycle ride-sharing service in the city.
23/01/2025 – A man was shot dead after reacting to a robbery in Pinheiros, west of São Paulo, on Thursday afternoon (23). Vitor Rocha e Silva, 23, and his boyfriend were attacked on Joaquim Antunes Street, near an overpass. They had left their home when they were approached by an individual on a motorcycle. The thief, who was armed, announced the robbery. The victims handed over their cell phones but did not provide the passwords. Then, the young men reacted and advanced towards the robber. That was when a fight broke out between them. According to the boyfriend, a second assailant appeared on another motorcycle and shot him.
24/01/2025 – Jasiane Teixeira, known as “Dona Maria”, identified as the biggest drug and gun trafficker in Bahia, was arrested in São Paulo, after being on the run for four years. The arrest took place on Friday (24/1), in a joint operation between the police of Bahia and São Paulo. The criminal is accused of commanding drug and gun trafficking in the region of Vitória da Conquista and other areas of southwestern Bahia. In addition, she is suspected of being a member of the First Command of the Capital (PCC) and of leading Bonde do Neguinho (BDN).
26/01/2025 – Corinthians and São Paulo (football clubs) fans clashed on Sunday afternoon (26/01) on Avenida Marques de São Vicente, in Barra Funda, West Zone. Videos recorded by witnesses and circulating on social media show the moment of the fight. The fans can be seen carrying pieces of sticks and running. There is also the noise of firecrackers thrown among the fans.
28/01/2025 – A member of the Chinese mafia who extorted money from merchants in the region of 25 de Março, Centro, was arrested by civil guards on Tuesday (28/01) after being identified by the facial recognition cameras of the Smart Sampa program. Sentenced to 18 years for extortion through kidnapping and criminal association, the 52-year-old man was part of the Bitong Group. He had been on the run from the penitentiary system since 2023 when he left the penitentiary for the temporary Christmas release.
28/01/2025 – The Civil Police arrested on Tuesday afternoon (28/01), two accused of robbing a tourism agency on Avenida Lins Vasconcelos, in Vila Mariana, South Zone. Security cameras recorded the moment the criminals entered the store and announced the robbery. They pull out a pistol and demand the cell phones and belongings of the two employees. Two civil police officers who were at the scene in an unmarked vehicle reacted.
28/01/2025 – Two men were arrested on Tuesday night (28/01) accused of being part of a gang that robbed businesses in the South Zone of São Paulo, almost always using a shotgun. According to the Military Police, the group acted violently and took, in addition to products and money from the cashier, personal belongings of the employees. Since last week, there have been reports of at least seven robberies committed by the group in the neighborhoods of Santo Amaro, Campo Limpo, Jardim São Luiz, and Morumbi, and in the city of Taboão da Serra.
28/01/2025 – The Civil Police carried out an operation on Tuesday (28/01) in Paraisópolis, in the South Zone of São Paulo, where they arrested a man suspected of robbing and killing a police officer on 14 January during a robbery in Chácara Santo Antônio, South Zone. The criminal stole a cell phone and the policeman’s gun and then fled. Two other men, investigated as his accomplices in the crime, were also detained, according to the Public Security Secretariat (SSP).
29/01/2025 – Mother and daughter were shot on Wednesday night (29/01) inside their home by robbers in São Miguel Paulista, East Zone. One of the criminals was killed by the police. The family was preparing to leave for another daughter’s prom when they were surprised by at least four thieves. Three of them broke into the house looking for jewelry.
29/01/2025 – A Civil Police investigator was arrested in flagrante delicto with a kilo of marijuana and R$ 50,000 on Wednesday (29/01) at Praça Major Guilherme Rudge, in the Belenzinho neighborhood, East Zone. The agent’s arrest was carried out by a team from the Tactical Force of the Military Police. He was taken to the Civil Police Internal Affairs Office.
29/01/2025 – An attempted robbery on Wednesday (29/01) ended with a criminal shot on Avenida Washington Luís, near at Rua dos Tamoios. Around 5:00, four criminals on two motorcycles in the downtown direction tried to steal another motorcycle. According to information from the Military Police, a military police officer who was on his way to work caught the attempted robbery and fired seven shots.
TRENDS & ADVICE
- Stay away from any protest most likely to occur in the city center, including Avenida Paulista, the MASP, Praça do Ciclista, Praça da Sé, Largo da Batata and Praça da Republica.
- Attention when walking downtown São Paulo, especially in Liberdade and Sé districts. At night, these regions are no-go zones.
- Monitor the local media in order to circumvent protest locations, including social media.
- If caught in a demonstration: remain still and take the time to see which way the crowd is going; attempt to leave the area by going against the movement of the crowd; avoid using your mobile phone, taking pictures or filming the demonstration; go to the nearest building as soon as possible and wait until the situation clears; try to avoid contact with security forces if possible.
- Considering the high crime rate of some locations in São Paulo, business travelers and expatriates should comply with safety rules in order to reduce the risk linked to violent crime. In case of an assault, it is strictly recommended not to resist and avoid making any sharp movement that may irritate criminals, who do not hesitate to open fire.
- Avoid, if possible, circulating through the neighborhoods in the East Zone and peripheral neighborhoods in other zones due to the high rates of various crimes.
- Pay attention when trying to meet new people on the internet as criminals use the dating apps and social networks to apply scams.
- Due to several police operations, drug users previously concentrated in a region called “Cracolândia” have spread across downtown, leading to an increase in petty crimes. Hence, avoid walking around with your cell phone in your hand, in addition to wearing jewels and expensive watches.
- The number of express kidnappings has increased lately due to a new method (PIX) that allows people to easily transfer money using bank apps. Cooperate in order to mitigate the risk of violence.
- Attention to the windows when inside a vehicle. Keep them closed, as criminals use heavy traffic to rob passengers that expose valuables.
- Keep in mind useful numbers: Emergency police number (190), and São Paulo tourist Police (+55 11 3120 4447).
