On April 1, the Armed Forces of Brazil will begin to withdraw from Complexo da Maré, a complex of favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Security responsibilities in the region will be transferred gradually to the State Police, in accordance with the plan established by Brazilian authorities.
On April 1, the Armed Forces of Brazil will begin to withdraw from Complexo da Maré, a complex of favelas or shantytowns in Rio de Janeiro. Security responsibilities in the region will be transferred gradually to the Military State Police, in accordance with the plan established by Brazilian authorities.
The transfer is taking place one year after the start of what Brazilians call the pacification of Maré, which is home to 130,000 people, but was ravaged by crime and drug-trafficking rings.
The initial plan was for the Armed Forces to remain in the region until the end of July 2014, which would have marked the end of the World Cup, hosted by Brazil with the finals in Rio de Janeiro. However, at the request of the government of Rio de Janeiro, the pacification force was extended on three occasions, most recently last December.
“The difference between the current extension and the previous ones is that this time, there is a schedule for handing over security responsibilities from the Maré Pacification Force (F Pac) to the Military Police for the State of Rio de Janeiro (PMERJ),” the Army’s Social Communications Center (CCOMSEx) explained in a statement.
Responsibilities for security will shift to the Military Police
The schedule was set through a cooperation agreement signed on January 7 by Defense Minister Jaques Wagner, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces General José Carlos De Nardi, Justice Minister José Eduardo Cardozo, and Rio de Janeiro Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão.
The document states that the F Pac will remain in Maré until June 30, but will reduce its presence as it transfers its security responsibilities in the complex’s 15 communities to Rio’s Military Police.
The transfer will be incremental, starting with the most controlled sector, where there is a heavier Military presence, and moving on to the least controlled.
According to the schedule, the F Pac will begin to hand over their security responsibilities in the communities of Roquete Pinto and Praia de Ramos to the PMERJ on April 1. One month later, on May 1, they’ll hand over responsibility for another three communities: Parque União, Rubens Vaz, and Nova Holanda. Finally, on June 30, the F Pac will hand over their security responsibilities in the remaining communities, fully withdrawing from Complexo da Maré. The PMERJ will then be responsible for providing security in the entire complex.
The transition between the F Pac and the PMERJ is already underway, according to CCOMSEx. Since January 12, approximately 200 Military Police officers from the Police Pacification Units (UPPs) have been working with federal Troops. Authorities anticipate that more police officers will be integrated into the PMERJ as the transition period progresses.
Police to work with the community
“These police officers pass through a brief adjustment period in order to facilitate integration between institutions. During this stage, they receive information about the rules and procedures of the pacification force, including patrolling techniques, procedures for dealing with the community, and instructions for utilizing firearms. The aim at this stage is to transfer knowledge to the police about the area of operations, the local leadership, and the peculiarities of each community so that they can take responsibility for security in the area,” CCOMSEx said in its statement.
The Armed Forces occupied Complexo da Maré on orders from Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who was responding to a request from the then-Governor of Rio de Janeiro Sérgio Cabral. Federal Troops took control of the area under the Guarantee of Law and Order (GLO) decree, to preserve public order and the safety of the population, as well as to ensure that institutional operation is smooth.
GLO missions take place when the traditional public security forces have reached their limits, as well as in severe cases of disorder. Regulated by the Brazilian Constitution (Article 142), GLO operations provide the Military with temporary power to exercise police duties until order is restored.
From April 5, 2014, when Maré was occupied, to February 5, 2015, federal Troops have arrested 416 adults and 206 minors, and executed 40 weapons seizures. The Troops have also confiscated 3,500 rounds of ammunition and carried out 292 operations that resulted in drug seizures.
Improving the quality of life
“In relation to the balance of the operation, it has been deemed excellent, not because of the number of seizures or arrests, but because there is a renewed sense of securityresulting from criminal groups’ reluctance to act out in the open,” CCOMSEx said in its statement.
Still, the F Pac faced a setback in Complexo da Maré on November 28, 2014, when 21-year-old Brazilian Army Corporal Michel Augusto Mikami was fatally shot in the head while on patrol.
However, the passage of the Armed Forces through the Maré complex of favelas was not characterized solely by police actions. The pacification force also brought citizenship initiatives to the inhabitants of the region. Through a partnership with Rio de Janeiro’s Court of Justice, they conducted marriages, registered birth certificates, and issued identification documents within the community, something that had not happened for years because representatives from the courts were unable to enter Maré.
Joint efforts also are being carried out at the schools in the complex, which include improving the facilities and bringing children on cultural visits. In addition, the Troops worked to rehabilitate and paint the facilities of the Maré Olympic Village, where children can participate in sports activities. Another example is the partnership with the Municipal Department of Public Order, which has allowed for the regular removal of inoperable vehicles that impede mobility and present public health risks. Only this year, 56 vehicles have been removed so far.
“Since the start of the operation, the pacification force has been guided by the principle that reaching acceptable levels of security in Complexo da Maré involves more than just curbing the violence,” concluded CCOMSEx’s statement.
On April 1, the Armed Forces of Brazil will begin to withdraw from Complexo da Maré, a complex of favelas or shantytowns in Rio de Janeiro. Security responsibilities in the region will be transferred gradually to the Military State Police, in accordance with the plan established by Brazilian authorities.
The transfer is taking place one year after the start of what Brazilians call the pacification of Maré, which is home to 130,000 people, but was ravaged by crime and drug-trafficking rings.
The initial plan was for the Armed Forces to remain in the region until the end of July 2014, which would have marked the end of the World Cup, hosted by Brazil with the finals in Rio de Janeiro. However, at the request of the government of Rio de Janeiro, the pacification force was extended on three occasions, most recently last December.
“The difference between the current extension and the previous ones is that this time, there is a schedule for handing over security responsibilities from the Maré Pacification Force (F Pac) to the Military Police for the State of Rio de Janeiro (PMERJ),” the Army’s Social Communications Center (CCOMSEx) explained in a statement.
Responsibilities for security will shift to the Military Police
The schedule was set through a cooperation agreement signed on January 7 by Defense Minister Jaques Wagner, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces General José Carlos De Nardi, Justice Minister José Eduardo Cardozo, and Rio de Janeiro Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão.
The document states that the F Pac will remain in Maré until June 30, but will reduce its presence as it transfers its security responsibilities in the complex’s 15 communities to Rio’s Military Police.
The transfer will be incremental, starting with the most controlled sector, where there is a heavier Military presence, and moving on to the least controlled.
According to the schedule, the F Pac will begin to hand over their security responsibilities in the communities of Roquete Pinto and Praia de Ramos to the PMERJ on April 1. One month later, on May 1, they’ll hand over responsibility for another three communities: Parque União, Rubens Vaz, and Nova Holanda. Finally, on June 30, the F Pac will hand over their security responsibilities in the remaining communities, fully withdrawing from Complexo da Maré. The PMERJ will then be responsible for providing security in the entire complex.
The transition between the F Pac and the PMERJ is already underway, according to CCOMSEx. Since January 12, approximately 200 Military Police officers from the Police Pacification Units (UPPs) have been working with federal Troops. Authorities anticipate that more police officers will be integrated into the PMERJ as the transition period progresses.
Police to work with the community
“These police officers pass through a brief adjustment period in order to facilitate integration between institutions. During this stage, they receive information about the rules and procedures of the pacification force, including patrolling techniques, procedures for dealing with the community, and instructions for utilizing firearms. The aim at this stage is to transfer knowledge to the police about the area of operations, the local leadership, and the peculiarities of each community so that they can take responsibility for security in the area,” CCOMSEx said in its statement.
The Armed Forces occupied Complexo da Maré on orders from Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who was responding to a request from the then-Governor of Rio de Janeiro Sérgio Cabral. Federal Troops took control of the area under the Guarantee of Law and Order (GLO) decree, to preserve public order and the safety of the population, as well as to ensure that institutional operation is smooth.
GLO missions take place when the traditional public security forces have reached their limits, as well as in severe cases of disorder. Regulated by the Brazilian Constitution (Article 142), GLO operations provide the Military with temporary power to exercise police duties until order is restored.
From April 5, 2014, when Maré was occupied, to February 5, 2015, federal Troops have arrested 416 adults and 206 minors, and executed 40 weapons seizures. The Troops have also confiscated 3,500 rounds of ammunition and carried out 292 operations that resulted in drug seizures.
Improving the quality of life
“In relation to the balance of the operation, it has been deemed excellent, not because of the number of seizures or arrests, but because there is a renewed sense of securityresulting from criminal groups’ reluctance to act out in the open,” CCOMSEx said in its statement.
Still, the F Pac faced a setback in Complexo da Maré on November 28, 2014, when 21-year-old Brazilian Army Corporal Michel Augusto Mikami was fatally shot in the head while on patrol.
However, the passage of the Armed Forces through the Maré complex of favelas was not characterized solely by police actions. The pacification force also brought citizenship initiatives to the inhabitants of the region. Through a partnership with Rio de Janeiro’s Court of Justice, they conducted marriages, registered birth certificates, and issued identification documents within the community, something that had not happened for years because representatives from the courts were unable to enter Maré.
Joint efforts also are being carried out at the schools in the complex, which include improving the facilities and bringing children on cultural visits. In addition, the Troops worked to rehabilitate and paint the facilities of the Maré Olympic Village, where children can participate in sports activities. Another example is the partnership with the Municipal Department of Public Order, which has allowed for the regular removal of inoperable vehicles that impede mobility and present public health risks. Only this year, 56 vehicles have been removed so far.
“Since the start of the operation, the pacification force has been guided by the principle that reaching acceptable levels of security in Complexo da Maré involves more than just curbing the violence,” concluded CCOMSEx’s statement.
Yes, it’s really the way they report it it’s a total success and deserves to be imitated by other countries I just made comment that here in Brazil, when military forces are at work, the politicians don’t let them. Why are they going to pull out the security forces from Maré? What hipocrisy. As soon as security improves. Where has security improved? Yeah, right.