26/04/2024 – The Civil Police arrested three members of a gang specialized in carrying out break-ins and thefts in luxury condominiums, in the central region of São Paulo, on Friday (04/26). In one of their last actions, the gang stole items from an apartment in the condominium where the STF minister, André Mendonça, also lives. Before the incident at the minister’s building, one of the group’s members was caught on a security camera during an attempted invasion of a high-end building in Higienópolis. On the occasion, at around 00:11, two accomplices approached the entrance and the young woman pretended to be a relative of a resident.
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27/04/2024 – An elderly man was violently assaulted after a car collision in Vila Matilde, East SP. As the victim was getting out of his car to talk with the author of the accident, the latter began to violently punch the old man. A passing-by couple witnessed the action and called the police. The attacker fled.
27/04/2024 – The fire that hit the Jaraguá State Park, in the North Zone of São Paulo, on Saturday night (04/27) was criminal, according to the Department of Environment, Infrastructure and Logistics. According to the Forest Fire report, the fire started around 20:00. The document also points to the likely cause of the fall of a balloon, as residents of the region reported seeing the device flying over the area that was hit by the fire.
28/04/2024 – A police officer was wounded during a funk party dispersion in Cidade Tiradentes, East SP. In response to a denouncement call, five patrol cars went on the spot in the early morning to end the party. At a corner of a street, a group saw the officers and started a shootout. An officer was hit in the leg and the author was arrested.
29/04/2024 – The headquarters of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) of São Paulo, located in Jardim Paulista, South Zone of the capital, was invaded on Monday (04/29). During the raid, documents from the directory were stolen. The complaint was made by the Minister of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise and Small Business and former governor of São Paulo, Márcio França, on his social networks. Internal images of the headquarters show that the door was broken. Rooms were also ransacked, drawers opened, and various documents and boxes were found scattered on the floor. The Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) reported that the Military Police responded to the incident on the same day.
02/05/2024 – Attacks by armed motorcyclists against pedestrians in Mooca, in broad daylight, cause concern among residents. On Thursday morning (05/02) the robbery was recorded on Agostinho Lattari Street, around 10:20. In the space of just ten days, three robberies were caught on Agostinho Lattari, Padre Raposo, and Campineiros streets, in addition to an attempt on Guaimbé Street.
03/05/2024 – A pedestrian ran into a gym after being chased by an armed motorcyclist in Perdizes, West SP. Security cameras at a gym on Apiacás Street recorded two men on a motorcycle approaching the pedestrian on the sidewalk around 19:00. Desperate, he ran away from the criminals, but was surrounded by them. One got off the motorcycle and gave chase with a gun drawn, while the other encircled him on top of the vehicle. The man ran into a neighborhood gym and the victim threw the keys of a motorcycle in the direction of the bandit to stop the chase.
06/05/2024 – The driver of the Porsche that caused a traffic accident that killed a man and injured another person on March 31 was arrested on Monday (05/06). He turned himself in at the 5th Sectional, in Tatuapé, East Zone of São Paulo, the region where the accident occurred.
07/05/2024 – On Tuesday (05/07), an operation by the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) with the Military Police carried out 11 temporary arrest warrants and 17 search warrants against members of the First Capital Command (PCC) who work in a network of loan sharking exploitation. The investigations pointed out that, in addition to being members of the criminal faction, those investigated entered loans to third parties with abusive interest rates, which reached the level of 300% per month. When payment did not occur, they began to threaten and extort debtors.
07/05/2024 – A man was caught on security cameras breaking windows and stealing items from cars parked on Rua Antônio Bicudo, in Pinheiros, West SP. The records are from different days between February and March 2024. In all the videos, the strategy is the same: the boy gets close to the vehicle, checks to see if no one is watching him and, with a flashlight, inspects the interior of the car. When he finds an object of interest, such as a backpack or a purse, he quickly breaks the car’s window and steals the item.
07/05/2024 – A military police officer killed a 70-year-old man with an accidental shot during a pursuit of suspects in Tatuapé, East SP, on Tuesday afternoon (05/07). The victim had nothing to do with the incident. A team from the 8th Battalion was on patrol in the Tatuapé region when, in an attempt to approach a motorcycle driven by two people, an accidental shooting occurred.
08/05/2024 – An operation by the Civil Police arrested 13 people in Cracolândia, in Luz, Central region of São Paulo, in the early hours of Wednesday (05/08), suspected of being involved in drug sales. Ten men and three women were arrested. One of the men had a police record for aggravated homicide, criminal association, and domestic violence. Another man was arrested with a fake firearm. Authorities seized 243 portions of cocaine; 27 portions of marijuana; R$1,300, allegedly from the sale of narcotics; the fake firearm, and precision scales.
Every 14 hours, at least one case of sexual harassment was recorded on public transport in the capital of São Paulo in 2023. In total, there were 601. The number is the highest since the law was enacted in September 2018. Rape cases also hit record highs last year. According to data from the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP), reports of sexual harassment increased by 116% in one year: from 277 in 2022 to 601 in 2023.
10/05/2024 – A woman was shot in the legs during an alleged exchange of gunfire between the Military Police (PM) and suspects, on Friday (10/05), in the community of Paraisópolis, South SP. She was selling clothes on the sidewalk when she was hit. According to the Secretariat of Public Security (SSP), the PM was called to an occurrence of suspicious death on Rudolf Lotze Street and Pasquale Gallupi Street, around 16:00h. As they approached the scene, two suspects fired at the officers, who fired back. The men then fled and abandoned portions of the drugs.
13/05/2024 – Police are investigating the causes of an accident, that occurred on Monday (05/13) that killed a 13-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy in Jardim Iguatemi, East SP. According to images taken by security cameras, the motorcyclist crashed after being chased by a Military Police (PM) vehicle. The Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) said that the PM opened a Military Police Inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the case and that the agents involved are on leave until the conclusion of the investigations.
14/05/2024 – A 10-year-old child died after being hit by a school van on Tuesday afternoon (14/05) in the Real Parque neighborhood, South SP. A 14-year-old girl was also injured. According to witnesses, the two victims and other students were on their way to a private school in Brooklin, also in the South Zone, when the vehicle had a mechanical failure and stopped on César Vallejo Street. The students were then told to walk down the sidewalk to the end of the street, where they would wait for another van. When the vehicle arrived and was going up the steep street, the 49-year-old driver lost control of the steering. The car began to reverse and ran over the girls.
15/05/2024 – An 88-year-old man died in the early hours of Wednesday (15/05) after being tied up and assaulted by thieves during a robbery in Jardim Botucatu, Sacomã region, South SP. According to police, the victim’s wife stated that five men, all hooded, entered the couple’s residence, located on Nagib Tanus Gastinos Street. They were taken hostage. The criminals were looking for jewelry and money. Her husband reacted to the robbery and, as a result, the gang tied him up and started beating him.
18/05/2024 – On Saturday afternoon (18/05), a Lamborghini driver chased a motorcyclist who stole his Rolex watch on Avenida Faria Lima, in Itaim Bibi, South SP. During the chase, the luxury car ended up hitting the motorcycle and a traffic light pole. The suspect was able to flee.
18/5/2024 – Two men suspected of being specialized in the card scam were arrested by the Military Police in the central region of São Paulo, on Saturday (18/05), during the Virada Cultural. During a patrol in the Largo do Paissandu region, the team received complaints about one of the suspects who would be robbing the victims at the event. During the search, officers found 90 bank cards. According to the Civil Police, the suspect was posing as a salesman to scam customers. He would swipe the victim’s card at the machine and covertly exchange it for a fake card. Still in the action, the man indicated the accomplice, who also participated in the scams.
18/05/2024 – Civil police officers from the Department of Criminal Investigations (DEIC) arrested two men involved in robbery schemes of luxury motorcycles. The arrests took place on Saturday (18/05), in the communities of Heliópolis and Vila Guacuri, both in the south zone of São Paulo. Two stolen motorcycles were recovered in the action. The suspect who was at the scene was detained and recognized by the victim. In the second arrest, investigators found the BMW motorcycle stolen on Friday (17/05) at the suspect’s home. They dismantled the vehicles.
20/01/2024 – A 16-year-old teenager was apprehended in the early hours of Monday (20/05) after confessing to police that he had murdered his father, mother, and sister inside their home in Vila Jaguara, West SP. According to the police report, the teenager called the Military Police on Sunday night (19/05) and stated that he had killed his family members using his father’s firearm, who was from the Municipal Civil Guard of Jundiaí (SP), and wanted to turn himself in. The police went to the family’s home, located on Raimundo Nonato de Sá Street, and found the teenager. He said he had committed the crime on Friday (17/05) because he was angry at his parents for taking his cell phone.
21/05/2024 – The Federal Police (PF) and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) carried out a joint operation on Tuesday morning (21/05) in the state of São Paulo to arrest people suspected of being part of a “new cangaço” gang. The “new cangaço” is a criminal modality in which bandits use weapons and vehicles to rob ATMs, bank vaults, and armored cars in small towns. According to the investigation, the main suppliers of firearms and ammunition used by the criminal organization are CACs (Collectors, Sports Shooters, and Hunters). The action of the PF and the MP, called Operation BAAL, took place in the cities of São Paulo, Osasco, Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, Guarulhos, Mairinque and Buri. In addition to these cities, they also acted in Xique-Xique, Bahia; Timon, in Maranhão; and Corrente, in Piauí. 24 search and seizure warrants were served, 13 people were detained, 8 of them in São Paulo.
22/05/2024 – A garbage collector was arrested for raping a vulnerable person on Wednesday (22/05), after being caught by security cameras trying to kiss children at the Oliveira Viana Municipal School, in Vila Santa Lucia, South SP. In the videos, it is possible to see the moment when José Evaristo da Silva, 51, enters the school and tries to kiss some students, who walk away. He then moves on to another group of children and even sits on the lap of one of the victims. After a few more attempts, the man interacts with another student and even eats a piece of fruit that is in his hand. The Municipal Civil Guard was called and arrested him.
22/05/2024 – On Wednesday (22/05), military police officers on patrol in the Grajaú region, in the south of São Paulo, recovered two stolen motorcycles. Two suspects, aged 18 and 19, were arrested. The police were warned by the Military Police Operations Center (Copom) about a robbery that had just happened in the region. During the searches, the MPs saw two men on a motorcycle without a license plate, they tried to flee but were approached. Police work continued to try to find the victim’s cell phone from the device’s GPS signal information. In this way, the team arrived at a house where, in addition to the cell phone, there was marijuana and other drugs.
22/05/2024 – The Military Police arrested three men with 400 kilograms of marijuana in Santana, in the north of São Paulo, on Wednesday (22/05). The incident occurred when the suspects were transferring cargo from a truck to a van. A team of the 15th Battalion of the Metropolitan Military Police was patrolling the region and suspected the action. According to the Military Police, the drug would be taken to other parts of the city of São Paulo. On approach, the officers noticed the strong odor of marijuana.
22/05/2024 – The Military Police seized a backpack, used by app delivery drivers, with 8,000 cocaine pins. The drug would be distributed in Paraisópolis, in the south zone of São Paulo. Police officers from the 16th Metropolitan Military Police Battalion were patrolling the region when they became suspicious of a motorcyclist who was driving with a backpack on his back. During the follow-up, the suspect entered an alley and abandoned the motorcycle and backpack.
23/05/2024 – A 41-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Thursday (23/05), in the South Zone of São Paulo, after he tried to leave a business without paying saying he was a police officer. A gun, ammunition, handcuffs, and a forged Civil Police identity card were found with him. According to the Military Police, employees of a nightclub called a team reported that the man posed as a delegate to have privileges and tried to leave without payment. Officers found the suspect on Ibirapuera Avenue a car with a siren. Questioned, he said there was nothing irregular and refused to be approached. He was arrested.
25/05/2024 – A São Paulo civil police officer was shot on Saturday (25/05) by a military police officer after an argument in the east of the capital. According to witnesses, the 37-year-old civil police officer was reprimanded by a merchant after urinating on the façade of his store, on the corner of Irmã Carolina Street and Álvaro Ramos Street, in Belenzinho. The military police officer, who was passing through the area at the time, went to intervene in the argument and was attacked by the civil police officer. Claiming self-defense, the PM shot the civil police officer twice.
27/05/2024 – Customers and employees of a restaurant were victims of a mass robbery in the Pinheiros neighborhood, West Zone of São Paulo, on Monday night (27/05). According to witnesses, at least nine mobile phones were taken. According to the Department of Public Security, the crime took place around 21:00h on Rua Cônego Eugênio Leite. An employee of the restaurant was surrendered by an armed man as he arrived at the store. The thief entered the store with the employee and demanded that customers hand over their cell phones. He then fled with the devices.
28/05/2024 – The Federal Police launched an operation on Tuesday (28/05) in São Paulo, to investigate fraud in withdrawals from the Guarantee Fund for Length of Service (FGTS) of professional soccer players such as Paolo Guerrero, who suffered a scam of R$ 2.3 million in 2022. He played for Corinthians and Flamengo and made the first complaint about the scam, which gave rise to the investigation. In the searches, police found a list of names of other athletes who may have suffered the same type of scam. Six search warrants were executed in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. According to the authorities, the scammers posed as proxies for the players with false documents to make the withdrawals.
28/05/2024 – The Wilson José Abdalla daycare center, in Bom Retiro, in the central region of São Paulo, has been invaded and robbed nine times this year. In the last eight days, there have been four robberies, the most recent on Tuesday (28/05). In one of the invasions, activities had to be stopped. On Monday (27/05), the daycare center even asked parents to leave their children at home after the pressurizer on the water tank was stolen. Since the beginning of 2024, 22 robberies and thefts have been recorded in schools in the capital. Last year, in the entire metropolitan region, there were 14.
29/05/2024 – On Wednesday (29), the Civil Police of São Paulo launched Operation Demeter to serve search and seizure warrants against Driele da Silva Teixeira, a public employee suspected of scam in funds from food vouchers for employees of the São Paulo State Department of Education. More than R$ 41,000 may have been robbed, and the first case would have occurred in 2021. The warrants were served on properties in Largo do Arouche, in the central region of São Paulo, and on Estrada das Lágrimas, in Sacomã, in the South Zone. According to the Civil Police, several food cards were seized.
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).
