With 867 Deaths, São Paulo Police Lethality Climbs 2.6 Percent in 2019

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – São Paulo police lethality increased 2.6 percent in 2019 compared to the previous year. In total, 867 deaths occurred in the state in 2019 as a result of police intervention (with officers on duty or off duty): 845 related to the State Police (PM) and 22 to the Civil Police.

The data, issued by the Public Safety Secretariat (SSP) of the State of São Paulo, was released on Thursday, February 6th, by the São Paulo State Police Ombudsman’s Office.

Considering the historical series, since 2011, the number of people killed as a result of the São Paulo police intervention in 2019 is only not greater than in 2017 (940 deaths) and 2014 (879). In other years, lethality was lower: in 2011, when there were 578 deaths, 2012 (655), 2013 (540), 2015 (832), 2016 (857), 2018 (851).

The data shows that deaths due to police intervention on duty increased 12 percent; and decreased 31 percent when the police were off duty. In terms of the State Police, the number of people killed totaled 845, an increase of 2.9 percent compared to the previous year. Deaths by the Civil Police totaled 22, a 26.6 percent decrease from 2018.

In addition to the deaths that occurred when there was police intervention, the Ombudsman’s Office notes that there were 18 murders committed by state police and one by civilian police. These figures were not computed by the SSP in the statistics of civilians killed in 2019.

“The main recommendation the Ombudsman’s Office made in 2018 and 2019 is to centralize all state police inquiries related to deaths as a result of police intervention. It is unacceptable that the quality, expertise, corrective body should only initiate and investigate three percent of state police inquiries related to civilian deaths.

The other 97 percent of investigations are left to the battalions of the police officers involved,” said Benedito Mariano, a police ombudsman.

According to the ombudsman, the local battalion is in charge of policing, not investigation. “I hope the government will take this recommendation into account because it will strengthen the correctional body.

If this happens, in the short and medium term it will reduce the lethality of São Paulo’s police by 40 to 50 percent”.

The Police Ombudsman’s Office pointed out that deaths as a result of police intervention by the Tobias de Aguiar Ostensive Rounds (ROTA) grew 79.3 percent last year. There were 104 deaths in 2019 compared to 58 in 2018. Considering only the deaths of ROTA police officers on duty, the increase in lethality was 98 percent: 101 deaths in 2019 compared to 51 in 2018.

In a statement, the São Paulo Police (SSP) said the investigation of crimes by police officers is thorough. “São Paulo’s police have a strict correctional system, which doesn’t cater to any deviations of conduct by its officers.

All allegations are investigated and the determinations begin in the area of facts and are always forwarded to the respective correction offices before being forwarded to the Judiciary. This work resulted in 510 police officers arrested, fired or expelled from institutions in 2019 alone,” the SSP said in a statement.

The Ombudsman’s Office’s data show that the number of state police officers killed on duty rose from three in 2018 to seven in 2019, an increase of 133.3 percent. The number of MPs killed off duty dropped from 38 (2018) to 15 (2019), a 60.5 percent decrease. The number of suicides in the PM in 2019 dropped 36.1 percent, from 36 (2018) to 23 (2019).

Three officers in the Civil Police were killed in 2019 while on duty, and none while off duty. The number of suicides dropped from 12 (2018) to ten (2019).

“Regarding the mental health of police officers, institutions provide specialized psychological care services for officers,” according to the SSP. The police officers rely on the Mental Health System of the police department, which offers psychosocial services conducted by psychologists and social workers at the Center for Psychological and Social Assistance (CAPS), according to the SSP.

“The Civil Police relies on a Prevention and Assistance Division, where psychologists and social workers are available for assistance. Cases of suspected psychiatric/psychological issues are referred to the State Department of Medical Expertise (DPME) for evaluation,” the note said.

Source: Agência Brasil