Brazil Creates Single System of Public Security to Fight Crime

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Temer sanctioned on Monday (June 11th) the creation of Sistema Unico de Segurança Publica (Single System of Public Safety), or the SUSP. The objective is to integrate Brazil’s public security agencies, such as federal and state police, secretariats and city guards, and create a national security database.

“Today we take a very important step to render more peace to Brazilians,” said President Temer during the ceremony to create the entity.

According to officials, the new agency will be funded from revenues collected from state-run lotteries, which this year is expected to total R$800 million.

For Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann, present at the ceremony, the goals for SUSP will include reducing homicide rates in all states of the Union and improving police training.

“Everyone will have to work together to confront (criminal groups like) the CCP, the Red Command, the Northern Family, the Crime Syndicate,” the minister told reporters.

Among the main lines of action of the new agency is the unification of police training and improvement courses, the integration of public security agencies and institutions, and standardization of the use of scientific methods and processes in investigations.

Brazilian sports clubs, however, are not very happy with the government’s decision, since the money now to be directed to the SUSP will be taken out of the revenues given to sports clubs around the country for the development of athletes.

“Brazil already lives today with the lack of a sports policy,” said the note released by the Brazilian Commission of Clubs (CBC).

Adding, “The reduction foreseen of the little that is now invested in educational sports, in a few years will cause an even greater increase in the already alarming rates of violence in the country. Throughout the world, sports has always been a powerful instrument in crime prevention.”