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Dreyfus, Pablo, and Marcelo de Sousa Nascimento. 2010 ‘Public Security Agencies (Law Enforcement) and Criminal Justice: Strength and Holdings.’ Small Arms in Brazil: Production, Trade, and Holdings; Special Report No. 11 (Chapter 2), pp. 125-127. Geneva: Viva Rio, ISER, and the Small Arms Survey, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva. 1 September

Relevant contents

Public Security Agencies (Law Enforcement) and Criminal Justice
Strength and Holdings

Each of the country's 26 states plus the Federal District has its own military police, organized along military lines (with military ranks, uniforms, and, in some cases, small arms) as well as an investigative civilian police (plain-clothes detectives).

Consequently, there are 54 separate state police forces.

Each state decides autonomously what kinds of weapons its police will use and how to manage its stockpiles …

In addition to the state police corps, there is a 10,500-strong federal police, which is an investigative force active throughout the country, and a 7,300-strong federal highway police.

There are also state fire departments (which in Brazil are lightly armed paramilitary units), state prison guards municipal guards and judges and magistrates, who in Brazil have the right to request from the state a small arm for self-defence …

Table 2.22 presents the strength of the public security and criminal justice sectors.

Table 2.22 Strength of Brazilian public security and criminal justice sectors.

Sector / Strength:
Federal Police: 10,500
Federal Highway police: 7,300
State-level military police: 384,030
State-level civilian police: 87,288
State-level fire departments: 40,742
FNSP (needs-based)
Other (municipal guards and criminal justice): 157,824

[FNSP = Força Nacional de Segurança Pública / National Public Security Force]

Note: Figures have been rounded.
Figures … are from primary or secondary sources; other figures are estimates

ID: Q3377

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