Ceará Records 127 Fatal Crimes after State Police Declared Strike

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The number of Intentional Lethal Violent Crimes (CVLIs) in the whole of the state of Ceará has increased to 127 since the start of the State Police (PM) riots on February 18th, which stopped activities for lack of agreement with the state government regarding salary restructuring. On Saturday alone there were 34 homicides.

The CVLIs include cases that are classified as murder/femicide, bodily injury followed by death and armed robbery. On Friday, February 21st, the number of CVLIs reached 37, the most violent day recorded since the beginning of 2020. Until then, the day with the highest number of cases was January 18th, with 17 deaths.

Despite the reinforcement of the National Forces and the Army in the security of the State, the crimes are still occurring. In all, 2,800 men have occupied the streets of the capital and some cities in the interior in order to mitigate the effects of the crisis in public safety. The measure falls within the Guarantee of Law and Order decreed last year by President Jair Bolsonaro.