Between January and August 2026, online reports of violence against women in São Paulo rose by 11.8% year-over-year, reaching 44,718 filings via the Online Women’s Defense Police Station (DDM Online). To expand coverage, the São Paulo Secretariat of Public Security increased its 24-hour videoconference units from 62 in 2023 to 235 across standard police stations, logging 2,376 remote specialized consultations. During the same period, law enforcement registered 12,700 domestic violence arrests (up 26.8%), 306 offenders monitored via electronic ankle bracelets, and over 20,800 panic button activations on the SP Mulher Segura application.
Between January and July 2026, the Cybercrime Division (DCCIBER) of the Civil Police of São Paulo conducted 73 specialized operations targeting digital fraud, executing 254 judicial warrants, recovering 164 mobile devices, and formally indicting 268 suspects for internet-based scams. Utilizing updated federal penalties under Law 14,155 (which carries prison sentences up to 8 years for electronic fraud) investigators and banking security experts (Febraban) identified prevalent financial scams across the capital, including fake call centers, fraudulent bank worker scams, WhatsApp account cloning, fake identity theft extortion, and counterfeit court fee scams.
01/09/2026 – On Tuesday (01), a 51-year-old man was arrested at his home in São Paulo, ending over seven years on the run following a 12-year sentence for raping a 9-year-old girl in Paraíba. Detained the previous day in a park after facial recognition cameras flagged him, he initially managed to gain release by presenting fake documents belonging to a nonexistent brother. Police confirmed his true identity by cross-referencing his fingerprints with electoral authorities.
01/09/2026 – On Tuesday (01), a 1-year-old child died in the Pirituba neighborhood, North Zone, following violent beatings inflicted by their 20-year-old stepfather. Brought to an emergency room by the mother under the claim of a fall, the infant presented multiple severe injuries that alerted medical staff. A police investigation at the home uncovered evidence of abuse while the mother was away at work. Confronted with the findings, the suspect confessed to the assault and was immediately arrested for murder.
02/09/20026 – On Wednesday (02), food delivery workers detonated fireworks inside the Santo Amaro and Capão Redondo stations on Line 5-Lilac of the São Paulo Metro during a protest against alleged security guard assaults on two colleagues. Demonstrators disrupted train service by holding open carriage doors and discharging explosives on the platforms, causing property damage to fire hydrants and extinguishers without causing any reported injuries. Following the arrival of the Military Police and transit security, five men aged 18 to 24 and a 16-year-old minor were detained, leading to the seizure of six knives, brass knuckles, a balaclava, and cell phones before the case was booked at the 11th Police District.
02/09/2026 – On Wednesday (02), Civil Police discovered a warehouse in Itaquera, East Zone, utilized for storing, processing, and selling stolen telecom and internet copper cables. Officers seized six kilograms of processed copper wire, three stripping machines, a forklift, a transport truck, and accounting ledgers used to track sales. Two workers, aged 39 and 45, were detained at the scene, interviewed, and subsequently released, while investigators continue working to locate the property’s owner.
03/09/2026 – On Thursday (03), the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPSP) launched an operation arresting André Weiss, former executive director of the state tax administration, and attorney João André Buttini de Moraes for leading a multi-million-real bribery scheme within the Secretariat of Finance. Supported by plea bargain testimony from a former regional tax delegate, investigators uncovered that Buttini paid over R$ 13.6 million in bribes, with millions passed to Weiss in cash-filled backpacks, to fast-track ICMS tax credit refunds for corporate clients. The operation executed 47 search warrants across multiple states and enforced administrative suspensions, while tax authorities revealed that related corporate audits have already yielded over R$ 3 billion in fines and back taxes.
04/09/2026 – On Friday (4), five armed and masked criminals used a cloned remote control to breach a home in Campo Belo, a neighborhood in the South Zone, where they bound the residents and staged a robbery. The perpetrators fled with jewelry, electronics, and a registered .380-caliber Imbel pistol containing 18 rounds of ammunition, leaving one resident injured with head and wrist wounds requiring IML forensic examination. Security footage from a neighboring property captured two unidentified getaway vehicles.
05/09/2026 – On Saturday (5), municipal sanitation workers performing street cleaning discovered an unidentified body wrapped in a black plastic bag and bound with ropes on Rua Contos Gauchescos in Jabaquara, South Zone. Discovered in the early morning, the corpse prompted Military Police officers to secure the scene for forensic analysis while booking the case at the 16th Police District in Vila Clementino to initiate an investigation into the identity of the victim and the cause of death.
05/09/2026 – On Saturday (5), a 27-year-old sex worker stabbed a 50-year-old rideshare driver to death in the Santana neighborhood, North Zone, following a payment dispute. Security cameras captured the confrontation, which began when the suspect removed the keys from the victim’s vehicle to prevent him from leaving without paying, prompting a physical fight during which she fatally stabbed him. Military Police arrested the suspect at the scene after she confessed to the killing.
06/09/2026 – On Sunday (6), a police intervention turned fatal in the Conjunto Habitacional Pirajussara, located in the Capão Redondo neighborhood, South Zone, when a man fled from an approaching Military Police patrol unit. During the foot pursuit, the suspect and one officer fought, prompting a second officer to open fire; the suspect later died from his injuries at M’Boi Mirim Municipal Hospital. Subsequent system checks revealed the deceased individual had an active arrest warrant.
06/09/2026 – On Sunday (6), Military Police officers physically restrained and tasered a concrete worker on Rua Memorial de Aires in the Sacomã neighborhood, South Zone, after responding to reports of an armed man threatening individuals at a nearby establishment. Officers claimed the man matched the suspect’s description and exhibited aggressive behavior during the stop, requiring six officers to subdue and handcuff him; no firearm was recovered during search operations. Video footage captured an officer placing a foot on the man’s face while he lay on the ground, leading the victim (who alleged police mistook him for the actual suspect) to report excessive force to the Police Internal Affairs division.
07/09/2026 – On Monday (7), Military Police and Metropolitan Civil Guard (GCM) officers deployed tear gas near Avenida Paulista to disperse anti-candidate protesters ahead of a presidential campaign rally by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Security forces intervened at the intersection of Rua Peixoto Gomide and Alameda Santos when a group of demonstrators attempted to enter a space occupied by rival political supporters, prompting police to use chemical agents to prevent physical clashes and clear the area. Additionally, police utilized the Muralha Paulista surveillance system to locate and arrest a wanted fugitive at Praça Geremia Lunardelli, relying on controlled force when nearby bystanders attempted to obstruct the arrest.
08/09/2026 – On Tuesday (8), a 33-year-old PSOL campaign activist caused a public disturbance on Avenida Professor Francisco Morato by setting up an unauthorized information stand that blocked pedestrian flow outside the Vila Sônia subway station in the South Zone. According to the Police, performing routine enforcement under “Operação Delegada”, Military Police officers instructed the woman to move the obstruction, but she refused to comply or present identification, creating a confrontation on the public thoroughfare. After actively resisting police commands, she was restrained in the act for disobedience, taken to the 89th Police District (Jardim Taboão) for processing, and later released.
09/09/2026 – On Wednesday (9), Civil Police officers arrested a 26-year-old man in the Parque Santo Antônio community, South Zone, after he confessed to the murder and dismemberment of a 26-year-old acquaintance. Forensic experts identified the victim in early August using fingerprint analysis on a severed arm discovered floating beneath the Socorro Bridge in the Guarapiranga River. The suspect, who has prior criminal records for rape and domestic violence, was booked at the 47th Police District and held for a custody hearing, while firefighters and police resumed searches in the river to recover the remaining remains.
09/09/2026 – On Wednesday (9), an armed gang raided a shooting club in the Cambuci neighborhood of Central São Paulo, holding two employees hostage and stealing all firearms stored inside the facility’s safe. After ambushing a representative outside, three armed men tied up the victims, forced open the vault during a 30-minute assault, and fled with an undisclosed number of weapons. The 8th Police District (Brás) opened an investigation to identify and locate the suspects, who claimed to have inside information about the venue’s operations.
10/09/2026 – On Thursday (10), the Federal Police executed 49 search-and-seizure warrants authorized by Supreme Court Minister Flávio Dino targetting an organized corruption scheme involving a R$ 108 million public wi-fi contract between the Municipality of São Paulo and the non-profit Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB). Federal agents focused on the head of ICB, Karina Ferreira da Gama (who is also under investigation for allegedly laundering political campaign funds into the film Dark Horse) along with four key subcontractors: ICB executives, tech suppliers, and a former business associate linked to the PCC organized crime group. The investigation covers embezzlement, document forgery, money laundering, criminal conspiracy, and bidding fraud, alongside ongoing municipal audits into R$ 12 million in suspicious expenses, billing disputes, and deliberate service disruptions across peripheral public internet points.
10/09/2026 – On Thursday (10), a joint operation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and Civil Police in São Paulo arrested 15 people and seized 10,000 stolen cellphones used in a major laundering scheme. Following a seven-month investigation, authorities revealed a multi-step supply chain where stolen devices were hacked to drain bank accounts, modified in illegal workshops to change IMEI codes, and resold online using fake tax invoices. The raids resulted in seven arrest warrants, eight flagrant arrests (including a retired police officer carrying 200 phones) and state warnings of immediate tax permit revocations for involved businesses.
12/09/2026 – On Saturday (12), a 27-year-old snack bar worker was physically assaulted at a bus stop on Praça Charles Miller, in the Pacaembu neighborhood. The victim reported that a federal deputy candidate, a 29-year-old former municipal guard and businessman, exited a vehicle accompanied by six men, initiated a verbal confrontation, and punched the victim twice in the face. The candidate’s campaign released a statement claiming he acted in self-defense against political hostility, while the 23rd Police District (Perdizes) registered the case as bodily injury and referred the victim to the IML for a medical-legal exam.
13/09/2026 – On Sunday (13), Civil Police executed a temporary arrest warrant against the alleged undisclosed partner of a construction company, while issuing arrest warrants for two at-large co-defendants (his son, the lead engineer, and an associate acting as the registered owner). The Itaquera Division requested the warrants after discovering that the builders had actively evaded authorities, ignored a mandatory municipal order requiring the total demolition of a pre-existing 6-story structure before erecting the new building, and disregarded prior neighbor complaints regarding severe structural cracks. The police action stems from a catastrophe on Saturday (12), when the company’s building under construction collapsed onto an adjacent home on Rua Tequici in Penha, East Zone, killing six people, including a 7-year-old child, and injuring two others.
14/09/2026 – On Monday (14), the Federal Police executed four search and seizure warrants in the Federal District and the state of São Paulo targeting federal deputy and evangelical pastor Antonio Cezar Correia Freire (known as Cezinha de Madureira). Authorized by Supreme Court Minister Flávio Dino, the third phase of “Operação Transparência” investigates an alleged scheme involving prestige exploitation, money laundering, and influence peddling related to parliamentary amendment diversions and judicial processes in superior courts. Agents focused on transactions linked to the parliamentarian and his inner circle (including a previous seizure of R$ 510,000 in cash carried by his wife at Congonhas Airport) while authorities confirmed the investigation remains under active judicial review.
14/09/2026 – On Monday (14), Military Police officers from the 16th Battalion raided an illegal chop shop on Travessa Barão de Iguatemi in the Real Parque neighborhood, South Zone, arresting a 37-year-old man in flagrante for fencing and vehicle tampering. Inside the premises, officers recovered a 2012 Mercedes-Benz, bearing fraudulent license plates, that was actively being dismantled alongside multiple engines with erased serial numbers and severed car parts. The vehicle had been stolen during a September 6, 2026 home-invasion robbery on a Morumbi mansion, where a 10-man armed gang held three family members hostage for an hour; the 89th Police District (Jardim Taboão) booked the suspect as investigations continue to identify and locate the ten fugitive robbers.
14/09/2026 – On Monday (14), police officers from the 67th Police District (Jardim Robru), supported by the Digital Observation and Analysis Nucleus (NOAD), arrested a 21-year-old man in Vila Curuçá, East Zone, under a 30-day temporary arrest warrant. Investigations revealed the suspect operated within a Telegram network targeting young women to acquire intimate content, subsequently blackmailing victims into self-harm, animal mutilation, and degrading acts. In the specific incident under investigation, the suspect invited a teenage victim to his residence, incapacitated her with alcohol, sexually assaulted her, and recorded the assault to distribute across social media; authorities booked him for statutory rape and animal abuse.
16/09/2026 – On Wednesday (16), two truck drivers aged 47 and 46 engaged in a violent traffic altercation on Silva Bueno Street in the Ipiranga neighborhood, South Zone. The 47-year-old driver was stabbed in the chest and taken to the Sacomã Emergency Care Unit (UPA), where he was treated and discharged. The 46-year-old driver claimed self-defense, alleging he was struck with a piece of wood before wielding the knife. Civil Police from the 16th Police District (Vila Clementino) seized two knives, submitted both drivers for forensic examination at the IML, and booked the incident as bodily injury.
16/09/2026 – On Wednesday (16), a 38-year-old woman was stabbed inside her home in Aricanduva, East Zone, after telling her 36-year-old ex-partner she did not want to continue their relationship. Before fleeing, the attacker opened the gas stove valves to cause a gas leak in the residence and kidnapped the couple’s three children in his car despite an active protective order. The victim was rushed to Santa Marcelina Hospital in critical condition, where she remains intubated. Passing motorists alerted the Military Police after spotting the suspect driving covered in blood while the children screamed for help from the back seat, leading officers to intercept the vehicle, rescue the unharmed children, and arrest the suspect on charges of attempted femicide.
17/09/2026 – On Thursday (17), São Paulo Civil Police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPSP) launched a joint operation targeting the First Capital Command (PCC) for infiltrating the city’s public bus system, executing 16 arrest warrants and 18 search-and-seizure warrants across 12 transit companies controlled by the faction. Among the main targets is Paulo Sirqueira Korek Farias (known as “Paulo Camarão”), president of Diadema-based football club Esporte Clube Água Santa, which finished as Paulistão runner-up in 2023, who remains at large under an outstanding temporary arrest warrant for acting as a front man and managing transit firms Translíder and A2 Transportes on behalf of the criminal organization. Authorities also executed a temporary arrest warrant against former São Paulo City Council President Milton Leite as part of the broader crackdown on political and corporate money laundering linked to the cartel.
17/09/2026 – On Thursday (17), a 26-year-old man shot his 26-year-old ex-partner inside a parked vehicle in Jardim Cachoeira, North Zone, before attempting to commit suicide with the same illegal firearm following the breakdown of their one-year relationship. The victim’s 17-year-old brother witnessed the shooting and raised the alarm, leading family members to transport the victim to Hospitais Cachoeirinha, where medical staff confirmed brain death. Responding Fire Department units transported the wounded shooter to the same facility, and civil police from the 4th Women’s Defense Police District (DDM Norte) booked the incident as femicide, illegal firearm, and attempted suicide.
17/09/2026 – On Thursday (17), a 48-year-old driver operating a Jeep Renegade hit and killed a 68-year-old pedestrian on Deputado Emílio Carlos Avenue in Limão, North Zone. Responding Military Police officers noted signs of impairment, and a breathalyzer test recorded 0.63 mg/l of alcohol; the driver admitted to consuming five beers before driving. Emergency responders attempted resuscitation at the scene and transported the victim to Mandaqui General Hospital, where he died from his injuries. Civil Police at the 13th Police District (Casa Verde) booked the driver for drunk driving and vehicular homicide with eventual intent, requesting that the court convert his flagrant arrest into preventive detention.
18/09/2026 – On Friday (18), a housing rights protest disrupted rail operations on CPTM’s Line 12-Safira in the East Zone after unidentified demonstrators trespassed onto the right-of-way around 05:00. Protesters set fire to debris directly on the tracks between the São Miguel Paulista and Comendador Ermelino stations, forcing CPTM to halt train traffic along the section and deploy emergency bus shuttles while Military Police secured the adjacent Assis Ribeiro Avenue. Security teams extinguished the fires and cleared the tracks, restoring normal train operations by 06:40.
17/09/2026 – On Thursday (17), detectives from DEIC’s 2nd DISCCPAT executed judicial search and arrest warrants across São Paulo, apprehending two members of the “gangue do quebra-vidros” responsible for breaking a taxi window on Doutor Arnaldo Avenue and snatching a cell phone from the former São Paulo FC executive on August 12. Metro surveillance footage tracked the suspects into the Clínicas Metro Station (where the victim fell downstairs and fractured five ribs while pursuing them) allowing officers to recover a stolen phone and the clothing worn during the crime. Civil police formally indicted both suspects for qualified theft, booking one suspect in flagrante for handling stolen goods after finding additional stolen devices at his residence.
19/09/2026 – On Saturday (19), Military Police officers and Fire Department rescue units recovered a dismembered body packed inside plastic bags down a steep ravine in Jaçanã, North Zone. Relatives of a missing person alerted authorities to the site, forcing officers to use rappelling gear to navigate the difficult terrain and retrieve the human remains alongside discarded clothing and a knife. The 73rd Police District (Jaçanã) registered the incident as homicide and opened a murder investigation to establish the victim’s formal identity and locate those responsible.
20/09/2026 – On Sunday (20), around 21:15, three unidentified burglars broke into a political office linked to former São Paulo City Council President Milton Leite in Santo Amaro, South Zone, spending less than 15 minutes inside. The intruders bypassed R$ 19,271 in cash left scattered across a sofa, targeting and stealing only the hard drive containing internal security camera footage while scattering bank documents, transit cards, and personal records bearing Leite’s name. Military Police officers responded to the break-in and presented the incident at the 11th Police District (Santo Amaro), where civil police opened a qualified theft investigation to secure forensics and track the suspects while Leite remains held under a 30-day temporary arrest order in Mogi das Cruzes in connection with “Operação Vectura Corrupta”.
21/09/2026 – On Monday (21), an off-duty Municipal Civil Guard (GCM) officer shot a 22-year-old delivery driver in the leg using his personal 9mm Glock pistol following a traffic argument at the intersection of Relíquia and Reims streets in Casa Verde, North Zone. Cell phone video recorded by the victim showed the officer stopping next to the moving motorcycle and firing before stating “Now it’s done, it’s over” (“Agora já era, já foi”), while the victim underwent surgery at a local hospital. Civil Police arrested the officer in flagrante for attempted homicide with eventual intent, rejecting initial claims of self-defense, seizing his weapon and 19 cartridges, and referring the case to the Internal Affairs Division.
23/09/2026 – On Wednesday (23), a trans woman using the social name Andressa, approximately 30 years old, was shot and killed at the intersection of Catequese Street and Monte Castelo Square in the Butantã neighborhood, West Zone. Security camera footage captured an unidentified suspect riding a motorcycle with an app delivery bag who approached the victim in a known prostitution area; after brief communication and the victim handing off her bag to a bystander, the motorcyclist fired five shots (hitting her in the right leg and back) before fleeing counter-traffic toward Romão Gomes Street without taking any belongings. The victim was transported to the University Hospital of the University of São Paulo (HU-USP), where she succumbed to her injuries, while Civil Police detectives at the 14th DP (Pinheiros) registered the event as homicide and ordered forensic analysis to establish the suspect’s identity and determine whether the motive stemmed from transphobia or execution.
24/09/2026 – On Thursday (24), 33-year-old mechanical engineer and Navy Second Lieutenant Beatriz Fickert Santoro was found dead inside her living quarters at the Navy Technology Center (CTMSP) within the University of São Paulo (USP) campus in the Butantã neighborhood, West Zone. Diverging from Navy statements asserting she was found “fainted” and pronounced dead upon arrival at the University Hospital (HU-USP), Civil Police incident reports registered at the 7th DP (Lapa) indicate that the officer arrived deceased at the medical facility via transport by a Navy captain, where an attending physician refused to sign the death certificate after observing signs she had died hours prior. State authorities notified the Federal Police (PF) to assume jurisdiction over the federal military installation, launching investigations into the cause of death and examining potential procedural fraud regarding the unauthorized removal of the deceased and alteration of the crime scene prior to official forensic inspection.
25/019/2026 – On Friday (26), the Military Police launched a major anti-organized crime operation in Paraisópolis, South Zone. Led by the 16th BPM/M Command, the deployment mobilized 174 officers, 61 police vehicles, 16 K-9 units, a police helicopter, and COPOM surveillance drones to seal all perimeter access points. Initial operational results include the capture of a fugitive wanted by the Paraná Judiciary for robbery who was hiding in the community under local faction protection.
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 República. Monitor the local media 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.
- Pay attention when walking downtown, especially in Liberdade and Sé districts, and on Rua 25 de Março.
- At night, these regions are no-go zones.
- Considering the high crime rate of some locations in São Paulo, business travelers, and expatriates should comply with security rules to reduce the risks linked to violent crimes.
- In case of an assault, it is strictly recommended not to resist and avoid making any abrupt movement that may irritate criminals, who do not hesitate to open fire.
- Avoid, if possible, circulating through the neighborhoods in the East and North Zones, and peripheral neighborhoods in other zones due to the high rates of various crimes.
- 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 and violent aggressions. Hence, avoid walking around with your cell phone in your hand, in addition to wearing jewels and expensive watches.
- As sexual aggressions are on the rise, women should pay special attention to the environments where they go to, avoid empty and dark places.
- During a night out, never accept food and beverages from strangers, as they can put some drugs in them. Men and women alike are targets of such crimes.
- Attention to the windows when inside a vehicle. Keep them closed, as criminals use heavy traffic to rob passengers with exposed valuables, like a cell phone.
- Attention to scams that may reach you through a WhatsApp message, e-mail, SMS, or a call.
- Be careful when trying to meet new people on the internet, as criminals use dating apps and social networks to assault you and apply scams.
- The number of express kidnappings is still high.
- Criminals use violence to make their victims transfer all their money via PIX.
- Cooperate to mitigate the risk of violence.
- Keep in mind useful numbers: Emergency police number (190), and São Paulo tourist Police (+55 11 3120 4417).



