Civil Police (Brazil)
The civil police ( Portuguese: Polícia Civil ) in Brazil is roughly equivalent to the German criminal police. Every Brazilian state and the federal district have their own civil police authority, which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting criminal offenses, while the military police ( Polícia Militar , not to be confused with the military police ) tend to take on the tasks of the German protection police. The Polícia Militar is supposed to guarantee compliance with the law (averting danger), while the civil police are mainly responsible for prosecution.
Characteristics
The origins of the civil police in Brazil lie in the "Intendência Geral de Polícia da Corte e do Estado do Brasil" founded in Rio de Janeiro in 1808. After the Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil in 1808, the police there were restructured and regulated and took on a new role in society. In it, the competencies of various authorities such as the Ouvidor Geral, the Alcaydes , the Quadrilheiros etc. a. summarized.
The first head of this new police force, Councilor Paulo Fernandes Viana, organized the police apparatus in Rio de Janeiro along the lines of the Lisbon police. The Intendência Geral de Polícia da Corte e do Estado do Brasil and later Polícia Civil survived all phases of Brazilian development up to independence (September 7, 1822). The tasks and functions of the civil police are now defined in Article 144, § 4 ° of the Brazilian Constitution of 1988.
organization
Each of the 26 Brazilian states has its own civilian police force, which is led by the respective police chief. He is responsible for the police stations that are responsible for cities or - in large cities - city districts.
Special forces
In addition to the normal police officers, there are also specially trained and equipped emergency services (for example CORE in Rio de Janeiro, GOE in São Paulo, etc.) who are responsible for particularly sensitive operations and the personal protection of important government officials.
Police investigation
The main task of the civil police is to investigate criminal cases. If successful, the suspect is arrested and the case is brought to justice.
literature
- Roberto Kant de Lima, Michel Misse, Ana Paula Mendes de Miranda: Violência, criminalidade, segurança pública e justiça criminal no Brasil. Uma bibliografia. In: Revista Brasileira de Informação Bibliográfica em Ciências Sociais , Rio de Janeiro, Volume 50, 2000, pp. 45–123. ( Online , academia.edu ).
Web links
- São Paulo State Civil Police website (Portuguese)
- Rio de Janeiros State Civil Police website (Portuguese)
Individual evidence
- ^ Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988 . Full text, published in Brasília by Presidência da República, Casa Civil on October 5, 1988. Retrieved on April 20, 2018 (Portuguese).