Policing in Brazil
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In Brazil there are three levels of policing: the Brazilian Federal Police, the Brazilian Federal Highway Police, the Brazilian Federal Railway Police and state police operate everywhere, and more than 400 cities also have City Guards {municipal administration police corporations}.
Each State is responsible for maintaining its own police forces, which are responsible for policing at the state level. Patrol and order duties are carried out by a military police force (state militia) and investigation duties by a judicial police organization without ranks, but using 14 professions called Civil Police (state bureau of investigation).In São Paulo State, the governor assigned a decreted law (State Executive Order),creating a new State Police: the Scientific Technical Police Service (State Forensic Police).The three São Paulo State Police corps have the same commander: the State Secretary of Public Safety Affairs.
In more than 400 cities, the local government employs city guards,municipal administration police corps who patrol municipal property such as parks and the environs of city halls, with administrative police powers. City guards are permitted to carry firearms 24/7 in cities with a population of 20,000 persons or more and buy private firearms for self protection.The City Guards firearm propiety,transport & buying permissions are granted by Brazilian Federal Police. There is a Constitutional Amendment Proposition (in Portuguese: PEC) (534/2002) which will change the Brazilian Municipal Police Guards powers and will transform these corporations in municipal police agencies de facto and de jure, operating in integration with the other Brazilian Law Enforcement Agencies.
In some states, there is a neighbourhood watch program. These "police" patrol a designated neighbourhood at night on bicycles, and are provided with police weapons. They monitor the streets until morning. There is a monthly fee for this service. There are also task forces with representatives of Federal Polices, the two State Polices, and the Municipal Guards.
The Brazilian Federal Police operates at a Federal level and concerns itself with Federal laws, including corporate law, drug smuggling, money laundering, people smuggling, e-crime and anti-terrorism.
