Organizations request suspension of purchases of rifles for the Municipal Guard of São Paulo

City hall allocates R$400,000 for the purchase of weapons that are incompatible with the functions of the GCM

Petição destaca que utilização de fuzis não é compatível com funções da Guarda Municipal. Foto: Marcelo Pereira/Secom/PMSP

The Public Defender of the State of São Paulo, Conectas and Instituto Igarapé asked, on Wednesday (15th September), that the Court of Auditors of the Municipality of São Paulo suspend a decree from the city hall that allocates R$400,000 for the purchase of ten rifles and 25 carbines to be used by the GCM (Metropolitan Civil Guard).

According to the organizations, this type of weapon is not compatible with the functions of the GCM — which includes protecting public assets and pacifying conflicts — and can increase human rights violations, especially in the Cracolândia region; the center of São Paul, where, according to the petitioners, there are already several records of abuses by the guard against people who circulate  the place.

With the purchase of rifles and carbines, “the Public Power, is definetely giving the Metropolitan Civil Guard an absolutely unconstitutional, illegal and abusive power”, says an excerpt of the petition. The document also highlights the decree’s lack of publicity, which represents “a serious violation of the principle of transparency”.