Brazil Army to Take Over Security in Rio de Janeiro Amid Violent Crime Wave

[ATCclears]

Brazil Army to Take Over Security in Rio de Janeiro Amid Violent Crime Wave

This may be paid content.


RIO DE JANEIRO—Brazil's military will take over public security in Rio de Janeiro until the end of the year in an unprecedented intervention that highlights the famed seaside city's struggle to contain violent crime.

President Michel Temer signed a decree Friday making Rio's state police and security authorities subordinate to an Army general who will report directly to him. The general, Walter Braga Netto, previously oversaw a temporary force of federal troops sent here last year to support local police.

The move comes amid increasingly frequent reports of shootouts and robberies across the state's eponymous capital, which hosted South America's first Olympic Games in 2016. The city of Rio saw 2,125 violent deaths last year, a 37% increase since 2014, including several heartbreaking cases of children and other innocent bystanders killed by stray bullets. This year's Carnival festivities earlier this week were marred by gunbattles and mass robberies.

"Organized crime is a metastasis spreading through the country and threatening the tranquility of our people," Mr. Temer said in a speech alongside Rio Gov. Luiz Fernando "Pezão" de Souza and other officials. "I know it's an extreme measure, but many times Brazil demands extreme measures to impose order."

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[Dungannon]

Brazil Army to Take Over Security in Rio de Janeiro Amid Violent Crime Wave

This may be paid content.

That paid content notice stopped me from clicking, but I'm guessing a subscription source. Anyway, the BBC had an article on that yesterday.
Brazil army takes control of Rio security

My first thought was - - if the Brazilian army shoots all the crooks - - John Correia [Active Self Protection] is going to see a 50% drop-off in video camera footage to analyze.

 

[CountryGent]

The city of Rio saw 2,125 violent deaths last year, a 37% increase since 2014

You know it is bad when you have more homicides than Chi-Town.

 

[Flymph]

Too bad they send in the troops instead of... I don't know... build some schools and infrastructure so there are better ways to make a buck than robbing and killing people.
It will be interesting to see how this evolves.