The government of Rio de Janeiro informed, this Monday (13), that it will adopt, as of New Year’s Eve, the use of cameras in the uniforms of public security agents in Rio de Janeiro, such as the Military Police, Civil Police and Fire Department.
The installation of the equipment in the uniforms of corporations will be implemented in the state of Rio de Janeiro, after several successful cases in other regions. Experts heard by CNN believe that, in the near future, numbers should be encouraging.
The images will be stored and, when necessary, the agent or the controller, who will be at the Integrated Command and Control Center (CICC), will be able to activate a device that will store the images for up to one year in a database.
Control bodies, such as the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office, will receive the images upon request. Approximately 21,500 cameras were rented by the government of Rio for 30 months, renewable for the same period.
The investment was around R$ 6 million per month. In addition to protecting servers in cases of false accusations, the use of the equipment will increase transparency and oversight of police actions.
The announcement made by the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, took place on the same day that the Public Ministry (MP) denounced five military police officers for altering the scene at the place where young Kathlen de Oliveira Romeu, who was pregnant, was killed on the day June 8, at the Complexo do Lins, North Zone of Rio.
According to the complaint, Military Police agents modified the scene of the crime before the arrival of the investigation, and also added 12 9mm caliber cartridges and a 556 rifle magazine, with 10 rounds intact. In a note, the PM states that the inquiry made by the corporation itself has already been sent to the PM.
For the defender of the Center for the Defense of Human Rights in Rio de Janeiro, Daniel Lozoya, situations like those of Kathlen de Oliveira Romeu can be avoided with the use of cameras in the uniforms of public security agents.
“It is a very important resource and I hope that the lethality rate in Rio de Janeiro will decrease in the medium term, and avoid cases like that of young Kathlen. But the criteria for locating these cameras is what worries me the most. They need to be placed in the uniforms of police officers who work in riot police, in areas with high lethality, and not in neighborhoods in the South Zone of Rio, where crime is usually low. But yes, it is an excellent method of reducing violence, should it work,” said Daniel Lozoya.
The measure, which will be implemented in Rio de Janeiro from New Year’s Eve, is already having positive effects in other regions of the country. Data released by the government of São Paulo show that the number of deaths as a result of police activity fell by 46% across the state between July and October, compared to the same period in 2020. A PUC survey shows that the analyzes in Santa Catarina, another place that makes use of the equipment, are ‘promising’. The state of Rondônia also uses cameras in the uniforms of public security agents.
For Jacqueline Muniz, professor at the public security department at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF), the tool will be able to reduce excesses on both sides: contempt against police officers or the disproportionate use of force committed by agents. However, the expert says that public security needs to undergo a ‘reform’ so that irregularities are tackled.
“The use of cameras in uniforms, yes, will be a tool to contain abuses and defiance of authority. However, police violence and corruption will only be effectively tackled with the application of a series of other government measures, such as, for example, the implementation of arms control and the use of ammunition by each agent”, said Jacqueline Muniz to CNN .
Reference: CNN Brasil
