Intentional homicides recorded in August in the city of São Paulo increased by 60% compared to the same month in 2023, according to data released by the Public Security Secretariat. Cases went from 30 to 48 this year. Robberies continue to rise in 2024 in the capital, with an increase of 66%, and, this month, they went from 3 to 5. In the year, in the first eight months, homicide cases went from 301 to 307, an increase of 2%. Culpable bodily injury due to traffic accidents also continues to rise, with an increase of 13.50% in August, as well as rapes, with an increase of 30.91%.
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02/10/2024 – A music producer was shot dead during the recording of a music video, on Wednesday night (2), on Rua Cariacica, in Vila Nova Cachoeirinha (North Zone). According to witnesses told the police, two unknown men fired more than 60 shots in the direction of the victim. The victim died on the spot.
03/10/2024 – A couple was kidnapped on Thursday night (3) by 5 bandits when they arrived in their car at their daughter’s house, in Vila Leopoldina (West Zone). Relatives of the couple called the PM who tracked the victims’ cell phone signal. The police released the hostages in the early hours of Friday (4), three hours after the search began. In the action, a criminal died in a shootout with the PMs, two were arrested while trying to escape, and two escaped. Their goal was to steal money from the victims.
04/10/2024 – On the morning of Friday (4), Civil Police seized 12 firearms of various models and calibers in a locker of a company in Vila Mariana (South Zone). The discovery of the arsenal is part of a lawsuit on the violation of electronic devices and data networks by the Cybercrime Division (DCCiber). The investigations target a criminal association scheme for the practice of embezzlement.
04/10/2024 – A shootout between police forces and alleged robbers took place in Paraisópolis favela, in São Paulo West Zone. One automatic rifle and drugs were seized. The incident occurred amidst a police operation to capture criminals involved in security van robberies.
04/10/2024 – On Thursday (04/10), during the afternoon, four criminals attempted to break into a condominium in Rua Engenheiro Vilares, Vila Brasil neighborhood, in the East of São Paulo, to steal a high-powered motorcycle and quickly fled. Nobody was arrested.
05/10/2024 – On Friday (05/10), during the night, four criminals broke into a condominium in Rua Engenheiro Vilares, Vila Brasil neighborhood, in the East of São Paulo, and stole a high-powered motorcycle, and quickly fled. Nobody was arrested.
06/10/2024 – A woman was shot dead on Sunday morning (06/10), during an attempted robbery at a gas station in the Ipiranga neighborhood, in the south of São Paulo. Marcela was shot after an off-duty military police officer who was at the scene reacted to the robbery. According to the São Paulo Public Security Department (SSP-SP), the two suspects were arrested.
08/10/2024 – At least three people were kidnapped by a gang that published fake ads to sell luxury motorbikes. After being lured into an isolated location, the crime would be announced and the victims were put inside the criminals’ vehicle and driven to another area, where they would be held hostage until the criminals managed to obtain all the money available in the target’s bank account. In one case, the total loss was estimated at R$80,000. The criminals were arrested. It was later discovered that the gang was led by a military police officer and had other members of the corporation involved with the crime.
08/10/2024 – A criminal on a bike stole a woman’s cell phone in Sumaré neighborhood, São Paulo West Zone, in the afternoon. She was using the phone while walking. Nobody was arrested.
08/10/2024 – Residents and business owners in Capão Redondo, in São Paulo South Zone reported that constant public disorders take place in the neighborhood. A crowd blocks the streets with loud music, and many motorcycles make noise and perform risky maneuvers. Attendees consume drugs, drink, fight, and party all night disturbing residents’ lives and the local commerce. The police do not appear to prevent the events from occurring.
09/10/2024 – A gang broke into a house in the São Lucas neighborhood, in the east of São Paulo, and stole the residents’ cell phones and credit cards. The incident occurred at dawn. During the crime, the mother and son hid in the back of the house. The residents’ screams caught the attention of the neighbors and the criminals tried to flee. One of the stolen cell phones was included in a real-time tracking system that helped the police locate the suspects and the vehicles used in the crime. The police team arrested five members of the gang upon arriving at the scene.
09/10/2024 – Criminals attempted to burglarize a home in São Paulo city. However, while moving to the target, the group was approached by a police patrol after the car they were driving was detected by a speed camera. The criminals were part of a gang specialized in burglarizing luxury homes.
08/10/2024 – A 57-year-old psychologist was robbed by an app driver in São Paulo while traveling from Guarulhos airport to the west zone. The driver deviated from the original route and, on the Pinheiros highway, announced the robbery, showing a dagger. He forced the victim to take out a loan on her cell phone and stole the unlocked device, her cards, and her suitcase.
09/10/2024 – Criminals stole a vehicle parked in the Mooca neighborhood, São Paulo East Zone. Nobody was arrested.
09/10/2024 – An American YouTuber was robbed and assaulted in Vila Madalena, west of São Paulo. The thieves took his cell phone and managed to withdraw US$23,000 from his bank accounts. In a video posted on his social media, Nicholas Bibbo, 30, reported that he was walking with a friend on Girassol Street around 21:15 on Wednesday (09/10) when they were approached by two armed men on a motorcycle.
11/10/2024 – A 28-year-old truck driver from Rio Grande do Sul was rescued on Friday (11/10) after being kidnapped for about 11 hours in Vila Nova Jaraguá, in the West Zone. According to the Police, he was the victim of a fake freight scam, being hired by the criminals through an app. The man’s wife contacted the police after receiving threats and a demand for R$40,000. Six criminals were arrested.
11/10/2024 – An abandoned house in Liberdade, in downtown São Paulo, has become a crack-use center. There have also been complaints about robberies and harassment by addicts. Both the Military Police and the Metropolitan Civil Guard carry out operations, but users return hours later. A grocery store on Conselheiro Furtado Street has been invaded by users a few times, according to employees.
12/10/2024 – A suspect tried to kill his girlfriend after arguing with her in the east zone. According to the police, the victim reported that she was at a nightclub when the suspect decided to pick her up. In the car, the man said that he was going to stop to buy drugs. The two allegedly argued, and the suspect attacked the woman with punches and slaps. The young man then crashed the vehicle into a pole and fled.
14/10/2024 – A 28-year-old woman was a victim of an attempted rape on Monday (14/10) while traveling with a ride-sharing app between Bragança Paulista, in the interior of São Paulo, and São Matheus, in the East Zone. According to her, she was traveling with a friend when, upon dropping off the first passenger in Guaianases, the driver began making abusive advances and complimenting her, asking her to move to the front seat of the car. When the driver diverted onto a deserted street, the victim jumped out of the car while it was still moving and fled.
16/10/2024 – A drunk driver invaded the sidewalk and hit three people who were in front of a wine cellar in Vila Jaguara, West Zone, in the early hours of Wednesday (16/10). According to images from a security camera, a car appears at high speed and runs over the young man and two other people who did not appear in the images. The driver was arrested.
19/10/2024 – A 41-year-old hairdresser was stabbed 12 times by her ex-boyfriend in Perus, North Zone, on Saturday night (19/10). Unhappy with the end of the three-year relationship, the man had already been making threats through messages. He broke into the victim’s property and struck the blows. The aggressor is on the run.
20/10/2024 – A 37-year-old delivery man was executed with more than 20 shots, in Grajaú, South Zone, on Sunday (20/10). His two colleagues were not injured. The criminals were not identified. According to the Civil Police, the victim had a criminal record for robbery.
22/10/2024 – A retired military police officer intervened on Tuesday (22/10) in an attempted robbery when he saw two young men taking a man’s motorcycle on Avenida Cidade Jardim, in Itaim Bibi, South Zone. A 16-year-old boy who participated in the robbery was injured and detained. Another thief managed to escape.
23/10/2024 – A scam scheme was discovered, in the early hours of Wednesday (23/10), in a house in Isai Leirner Square, in Jardim Bonfiglioli, West Zone. The gang pretended to be bank employees to deceive victims and scam them. In the house, the police found six computers, four cell phones, and R$ 10,000. Five people were arrested.
23/10/2024 – A police officer was robbed and stabbed on the same street as the police station where he works in downtown São Paulo. The man was injured in the early hours of Tuesday (23/10) after leaving a bar on Aurora Street, which is close to the 3rd Police District (Campos Elíseos). Police are investigating a case such as a robbery and trying to identify the criminal who fled.
23/10/2024 – A suspect was shot by the police, in Pinheiros, West Zone, on Wednesday night (23/10). The case happened at the intersection of Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue and Cidade Jardim Avenue. The criminal did not resist.
24/10/2024 – On Wednesday (24), the civil police served a search and seizure warrant at a house in the Limão neighborhood, North Zone, when they seized what they classified as an arsenal of organized crime. There were several rifles, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, war equipment, and drugs. A 45-year-old man, a fugitive from justice for homicide, was armed with a rifle and hidden in a room. According to the police, he was disarmed and arrested.
25/10/2024 – A Military Police base was attacked by gunfire in São Paulo in the early hours of Friday (25), on Avenida Poeta, in Jardim Julieta (North Zone). According to the SSP (Public Security Secretariat), two criminals on a motorcycle shot at police officers who went out on patrol. One of the suspects died and the other fled. No police officer was injured.
27/10/2024 – About 70 people from the Front of Struggle for Housing Movement invaded a building, on Sunday night (27/10) on Avenida 9 de Julho, in the Bela Vista neighborhood (Downtown). The PM intervened and the eviction was peaceful, without confrontation. Four people were detained.
29/10/2024 – Police found 80 sticks of dynamite, including 10 ready for use, in a taxi on Tuesday afternoon (29/10), near the Barra Funda Forum, in the West Zone. A suspect was arrested with tools used in ATM robberies, in addition to dynamite. According to the police, the explosive would be used in ATMs robberies. The special operations group was called in to defuse the explosives.
30/10/2024 – A 13-year-old student from the Gregório Westrupp State School, in Sapopemba, East Zone, was threatened by a teacher on Wednesday (30/10). The physical education teacher had her cell phone stolen during class and someone said that it was the victim. Trying to scare the student, the teacher approached him while leaving school and forced him to get into her car. In a statement, the student’s mother said that she was also approached and threatened by members of organized crime.
30/10/2024 – Burglars robbed a mansion on Wednesday night (30/10), on Guadalupe Street, in Jardim América, an upscale area in downtown São Paulo, exchanged fire with military police in a car and managed to flee. Two shots hit another car that was passing by the place.
30/10/2024 – A 22-year-old man stole a woman’s backpack inside the Artur Alvim Station of Line 3-Red of the Subway, on Wednesday afternoon (30/10). The man was recognized by people and assaulted. Metro Security Agents, with the support of the PM, managed to contain the riot. During the personal search, the police found portions of K9 drugs. He was arrested.
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).
