Civil society criticises the proposal to abolish the São Paulo Police Ombudsman
According to organisations, the existence of this body is fundamental in the reduction of police lethality and abuse of power committed by agents of the state against citizens
The bill 31/2019 is under analysis in the São Paulo Legislative Assembly. The author of the bill is state councilman Frederico D’Ávila (PSL) and it includes the abolition of the São Paulo Police Ombudsman, created in 1995 by the Governor at that time, Mário Covas (PSDB).
In response, Conectas and other civil society organisations have expressed their condemnation of the proposal in a letter.
In this document, organisations allege that compliance with the abolition of the Ombudsman is tantamount to defending the existence of a police force which has no commitment to transparency or to democratic legality. In addition, it highlights that, since the institution was created it has been a fundamental tool in combatting rights violations, committed by police officers against citizens. It has also been responsible for creating numerous measures for professional appreciation and for a reduction in lethality in this area.
The Ombudsman is currently responsible for external and internal monitoring of security forces. Its activities focus on cases of police violence and abuses, but also on problems related to the working conditions of the civil and military police. It is, above all, a place for the public to report problems encountered in the provision of services and to propose measures to improve the quality of the assistance provided.
