FOLHA DE S.PAULO (Brazil)
SAO PAULO – One policeman is killed every 32 hours in Brazil, according to a new report by the State Public Security Department shows.
Official statistics show that at least 229 police officers – from both civil and military police – were killed in Brazil this year, reports Brazilian daily Folha de S.Paulo.
Of those slain, 79% were killed while off-duty. According to a recent study from the University of São Paulo (USP), off-duty policemen are more vulnerable and homicide investigations are therefore harder to carry out.
Score-settling between gang bosses and police officers, especially in the city of São Paulo where violent clashes between police and PCC gang members have occured, also help explain such a high police homicide rate.
[rebelmouse-image 27085967 alt=”” original_size=”800×161″ expand=1]
São Paulo at night (Geralzona)
Folha reports that the state of São Paulo tops the list with 98 policemen killed in 2012, followed by Northern states of Para and Bahia. The study is the latest reminder that despite the current economic boom and major improvements in some urban areas, public safety remains a major issue in Brazil.
