Government of Rio determines that special forces wear cameras on uniforms

The government of Rio de Janeiro edited a decree establishing the obligation for agents of the special forces of the Civil and Military Police to wear cameras in uniform. The decision will cover battalions such as the Special Police Operations Battalion (Bope) and the Shock Battalion.

The rule complies with a determination of the Federal Supreme Court (STF). The document was signed by the governor of the state, Cláudio Castro (PL), and published in the Official Gazette this Wednesday (4).

The decree determines that the two corporations edit a joint resolution to regulate the management, sharing and requests for access to electronic data produced by the use of these cameras related to occurrences involving: arrests in flagrante delicto, violent lethality, and the use of monitoring equipment in intelligence actions.

“In occurrences involving arrests in flagrante delicto, the objective is to establish a supply flow of images; in the case of occurrences involving violent lethality, the objective is to preserve the images for the purpose of evidence in the investigation procedures”, said the government, in a note.

The text also provides that the internal affairs departments adopt procedures for creating a committee or commission responsible for analyzing the audiovisual content used in disciplinary administrative procedures in progress and for authorizing sharing, safeguarding or disclosure, informed Agência Brasil.

“We are complying with the deliberations of the Federal Supreme Court and for that it is necessary to standardize access to the images produced by the portable operational cameras. this type of equipment has already been made in the country and is part of the State Program for Transparency in Public Safety Actions”, said Castro.

According to the government, portable body cameras are already being used by military police in all 39 area battalions and in some specialized units. The expectation is that all units will be using the equipment by the end of this year.

Fachin rejected appeal from the Rio government

Last month, the minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Edson Fachin denied an appeal by the government of Rio and upheld the decision to oblige the installation of cameras and geolocation equipment on the uniforms of state police officers. The minister also ordered that the captured images be stored and shared with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office and victims of police violence when requested.

The government of Rio even participated, in May, in a conciliation hearing at the Supreme Court and claimed that the installation of cameras jeopardizes investigative actions and puts the security of agents at risk. However, in the new decision, Fachin kept the facility mandatory, but allowed procedures to be listed that could interfere with intelligence activities.

“These activities, however, do not necessarily coincide with all operations carried out by battalions or special units or even by all the agents that make up these units. Whenever there is use of force not related to intelligence activities, State agents must carry the body cameras,” said the minister.

In December of last year, Fachin determined that the government of Rio should present a schedule for installing the cameras. The measure was taken after the Court’s decision that forced the corporation to install equipment to combat the lack of investigation into the death of citizens during clashes between police and criminals in Rio’s communities.