ABSTRACT
In Brazil, the institutional arrangement for Public Security is described in Art. 144 of the Federal Constitution of 1988, which denes the competence of Police Forces in maintaining public order and the safety of persons and assets. ere are distinct assignments, according to the level of the institution (federal, state, or municipal), and to the nature of the issue to be managed, with some of them having a restricted competence-given the fact that, in Brazil, a complete cycle is an exception rather than the rule. Each agency accounts for a part of the crime prevention and repression work. e Federal Police is institutionalized at federal level. Its aim is to investigate criminal oenses against the political and social order or damages to assets, services, and/or interests of the Union or its autonomous agencies and public companies, as well as other violations having interstate or international repercussions and requiring uniform repression, as provided under the Law. Its functions
e Brazilian Police Forces 171 Career 174 Changes Experienced 176 Problems and Successes Experienced 181 Personal Philosophy 183 eory and Practice 183 Transnational Relations 184 Democratic Policing 186 Looking Ahead 187 Conclusion 188 References 189
further include prevention and repression of illicit tracking of narcotics and similar drugs, smuggling, and embezzlement, without prejudice to related actions by the Treasury and other authorities in their respective areas of competence; performance of maritime, airport, and border police functions; and, further, to perform, exclusively, duties as the Union’s judiciary police. e Federal Highway Police is also institutionalized at federal level. It is dedicated to the ostensive patrolling of highways. Similarly, the Federal Railway Police is institutionalized at federal level. It is dedicated to the ostensive patrolling of railways. e Civil Police is institutionalized at state level. It performs judiciary police duties and investigate criminal oenses, except for federal crimes and those committed by military police ocers. e Military Police is an auxiliary force to the Army. It is institutionalized in all federative states, having competences for ostensive policing and maintaining public order. Finally, there are the Municipal Guards. Municipalities are free to decide whether to have them or not, as they are not compulsory institutions. eir main role is to protect locally existing assets, services, and facilities.
