In a letter to Lula, organizations call for the use of body cameras by police forces
A document showing an increase in police lethality and advocating for the mandatory use of cameras with continuous recording has been sent to Congress and state governors
Câmeras corporais no uniforme de PMs. Foto:
More than 150 civil society organizations and research groups released an open letter to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the National Congress and governors calling for the universal adoption of body cameras by police officers throughout the whole country.
The document, signed by organizations such as Conectas, Instituto Sou da Paz, Justiça Global and Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública, highlights the efficacy of the policy adopted in São Paulo in 2021, which resulted in a 62.7% drop in police lethality in the state.
According to the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, 6,393 people were killed by police officers in Brazil in 2023, 82.7% of whom were Black. The letter draws attention to a 78.5% increase in deaths resulting from police actions since 2023, and calls for the national security package to make the adoption of cameras with continuous automatic recording mandatory.
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The organizations also propose that federal resources be released on the condition that the technology is effectively implemented and that external auditing protocols and independent management of footage are adopted.
“The camera policy is not just about technology. It is a democratic tool to prevent abuse and safeguard lives, especially in the peripheries,” it says in the text.
