A meeting scheduled to take place during the Police Operations Congress will discuss the impact of the possible renaming to “Municipal Police” and the strengthening of the category’s role in public security.
From October 16 to 18, São Paulo will host the 4th Police Operations Congress – COP International, which, among other activities, will include a meeting of the National Council of Municipal Guards.
Chaired by Commander Carlos Alexandre Braga, the meeting already has some topics confirmed, such as a discussion on changing the nomenclature of Municipal Guards to “Municipal Police” and their attributions.
The discussion is an old one and has once again become the subject of debate following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Action for Non-Compliance with Fundamental Precept – ADPF 995, which formally recognized the Municipal Guards as members of the Public Security System, equating them with a municipal police force.
According to Commander Braga, the change would only be in terms of nomenclature. “As far as we are concerned, we have always been a police force. The attribution is already established by other laws, such as the General Statute of the Guards – Law 13.022”, he recalls.
For the population, the change in designation would also have no impact from a practical point of view and for Braga, the effect would only be psychological. “The Municipal Guards have grown by 39% in the last 10 years, because the population, especially in small and medium-sized towns, has the quickest response to improving public safety through municipal management. But whether it’s the Guard or the Municipal Police, nothing will change in terms of attributions,” says the Commander.
This is the first time that the Council of Municipal Guards has held its meeting during COP International, which will also host other organizations, such as the National College of Public Security Secretaries – CONSESP, the National Council of General Commanders – CNCG and the National Council of Civil Police Chiefs – CONCPC.
The creator and organizer of COP 2024, João Sansone, stresses the importance of including the meeting of the Municipal Guards in the event’s programme. “The Municipal Guards play a fundamental role in the operationalization and guarantee of public security in municipalities and bringing them into the debate alongside other police forces consolidates their space and facilitates the alignment of strategies between all national defence entities,” says Sansone.
About COP International
COP International is the largest Latin American event focused on police activity and aims to integrate civil society with Brazil’s security, defense and justice forces. This year, the congress once again has the institutional support of the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat and the event’s program is fully designed to produce differentiated content, seeking to qualify and update professionals in the sector through lectures and a business fair. The event is free, open to the public aged 18 and over and registration is now open at https://cop.pro.br/.
Service
Event: Police Operations Congress – COP International 2024
Date: October 16-18, 2024
Registration: https://cop.pro.br/
Venue: São Paulo Expo – Rodovia dos Imigrantes, 1.5 km – Vila Água Funda, São Paulo-SP.