1. INTRODUCTION
In the field of public policies, one of the biggest problems facing society today is public safety. Community policing is a philosophy in which the State and Society assume their role in finding solutions to the problems of the security of a given community, usually considered a critical area, in which police actions must be guided by the identification of the needs of this area with essentially preventive activities. This type of policing is based on the partnership between police and citizen in the search for a less violent society.
In Brazil the homicide rate per 100 thousand inhabitants was 29.1 in 2014, which represents approximately 60 thousand deaths occurred in the reference year. This indicator shows a growth compared to previous periods, as for example: the variation of 48 thousand to 50 thousand deaths in the period of 2004 to 2007; and from 50 thousand to 53, thousands deaths in the period 2008 to 2011. The situation is worrying and the text highlights: "These deaths represent more than 10% of the world's recorded homicides and place Brazil as the country with the highest number of homicides" (IPEA, 2016, p.6).
When analyzing the homicide rate, according to the IPEA data (2016), between 2004 and 2014 by region, it can be observed that the Northeast showed the highest evolution among the Brazilian regions. Excluding Pernambuco, the other states in the region showed a growth rate of more than 100% in the homicide rate in the reference period. The state of Rio Grande do Norte, for example, had a rate of 11.3 deaths per 100, thousand inhabitants in the year of 2004 and rose to 46.2 in 2014.
Alagoas also has been register evolution in yours indexes of violence. The study carried out by the IPEA (2016) highlights that the state already presented a rate of 33.9 homicides in the year 2004. This result gave them the second position in the northeastern ranking, losing only to Pernambuco. However in 2014, the rate becomes 63 homicides per 100 thousand inhabitants and the state becomes lead the national ranking. (IPEA, 2016)
In another study by realized Waiselfsz (2016), have is a new dimension of violence in the State of Alagoas. The state has 14 cities among the 50 municipalities with the highest firearm homicide rates in Brazil. In addition, shows a rate of 56.1 homicides per firearm for 100, thousand inhabitants. This rate represents more than twice the Brazilian average rate what is of 21.2.
Located in the agreste of Alagoas, the city of Arapiraca have its grown rapidly in recent years. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), obtained in the last two census (2000-2010), its population increased from 186,446 to 214,006 inhabitants. Still according to the IBGE, the estimate for the population in 2014 was 229,329. However, not only have development been highlighted, Crime has have its also been evidenced in the mentioned municipality. According to Waiselfsz (2016), Arapiraca ranks 18th in the national ranking of gunshot homicides. The city has a 79.7 homicide rate per firearm. This rate is higher than other localities of the country as: Rio de Janeiro, 14.8; São Paulo 10,2; and Porto Alegre 35.4.
As with education, health and employment, security and increased in crime are matters of State responsibility. Still taking as a basis the Federal Constitution (CF / 88), in chapter III, of title V, which deals with security says that "public safety is the duty of the State ...". Therefore, lack of security is a social problem that must be considered by the State and requires immediated actions in the face of its growth. This problem is quite complex so public safety policies must be well planned to be executed efficiently and effectively.
One way outlet for braking of the evolution of crime indexes is the adoption of community policing, whose main premise is to act in a preventive and integrated way with the community of a given area, usually a vulnerable area. This work methodology proposes a structural and cultural change within the police institution and of the society itself. This methodological proposal to combat violence was implanted in 2012 in the Brisa do Lago neighborhood, located in Arapiraca-Alagoas, in order to contain violence and crime in the region. The choice of locality was due to the fact that there are a large number of occurrences and to be considered as a vulnerable area of the municipality.
In this context, the present work seeks to describe how was developed community policing by the Policial base of the Brisa do Lago set residencial during its operation. The analysis period comprises the year 2012, moment of implantation, until 2016, when the base was deactivated. It is hoped that this work will to contribute for the discussion on the topic of violence that has national, regional and, mainly, local prominence. As also investigate some measures adopted to contain such indicators, through alternative methodologies for the police action such as community policing. It is important to investigate how if the actions of implatation, operationalization and the main reasons for the deactivation or failure of such innovative practices are given.
The present work besides this introduction has four more parts: the first promotes a review of the literature that discusses public safety and the community policing model, through definitions and concepts historys and firsts manifestations of philosophy in Brazil; then the methodological procedures used to achieve the proposed objectives are described; in the third part the results obtained with the field phase of the research are presented; and, finally, the final considerations of the work.
2. PUBLIC SECURITY AND THE "COMMUNITY POLICING" MODEL
Public policies have the primary purpose of solving the different problems of society, so we conclude that there are different segments in which public policies must intervene. Among these segments, we will mention later, public security policies, which must be elaborated and applied in order to solve the problems related to public security, one of the great issues to be cared for by the State and are constantly clamored by society.
For Secchi (2013, p.2) "a public policy is an elaborate guideline to face a public problem". Security is a fundamental right and is expressed in the Federal Constitution in Article 5, Chapter I of Title II, which deals with Fundamental Rights and Guarantees, and when this right is not satisfied there is instability in middle becoming a social problem.
Still taking as its basis the Federal Constitution (CF / 88), in chapter III, of title V, says that "public safety is the duty of the State ...". Therefore, lack of security is a social problem that must be considered by the State and requires immediate actions in the face of its growth. This problem is quite complex, so public safety policies must be well planned to be executed efficiently and effectively.
Several issues should be considered in the definition and formulation of public security policies. In this sense, Beato (1999, p.15) states that "policies must be guided by clear and defined goals to be achieved through reliable measures for the evaluation of these objectives and by the means available for their realization in a democratic way." The author also says that the diversity of events considered as violence makes it difficult to formulate public policies, it is necessary to identify the risks pointed out in each situation (BEATO, 199).
Already Soares (2005) define public security as the stabilization of positive expectations regarding public order and the validity of cooperative sociability. Thus, the stabilization of expectations refers to the need to reduce violent actions, especially those that bring a threat to life; and also the need to alleviate the sense of insecurity and fear that afflict society in general.
In its turn, Souza Neto (2008) presents two antagonistic understandings for Public Security from of the Constituent Assembly. One presents the idea of combat, and in it the police have the mission to fight the criminals. Following this conception public security policy is formulated as a "war strategy". In the other, public security is understood as a "public service" that must be provided by the State with due observance and respect for the individual rights of each citizen, the use of force only is done for protection the safety of people. This conception, given its democratic character, incites the participation of society in the management of public security.
It is trend, and it is part of the principles of good governance of the public area the arrangement of mechanisms of interaction and control on the part of the society, increasing the participation of this in the decisions and actions taken by the managers. This precept also applies to public safety. To this end we can cite the creation of public safety councils. Sento-Sa et. (2017, p.174) highlights out that in the field of public security, by inserting the experience of councils already existing in other spheres, it can be considered significant. In doing so " gives up a important step is taken to recognize public safety as a field of social policies and the good it provides as a right that must be franchised isonomically for all."
During the second Lula government, in 2007, was launched by Provisional Measure (PM), number 384 the National Security with Citizenships Program (Pronasci). This PM was later converted in Law 11,530 / 2007 and, finally, had its last amendment with Law 11,707 / 2008. This law is intended, of according to art. 2, " to articulate actions of public security for the prevention, control and repression of criminality establishing social policies and actions of protection to the victims".
In the Pronasci principles be evidenced that human rights and police efficiency are not divergent, complement each other, because, police efficiency is only effective when they are respecting human rights, these, guaranteed by police efficiency. As also them the actions proposed by the State of prevention and qualified repression must be interdependent, been the police responsible for protecting "rights and freedoms" (SOARES, 2007).
Pronasci, crave still the participation of municipalities in public security, and this participation is not restricted to the creation of Municipal Guards, also is extended to preventive policies. Municipalities can also act in public safety by imposing some restrictions, such as regulating the opening hours of commercial establishments that sell alcoholic beverages.
Corroborating, Soares (2007) highlights that the principles of Pronasci are in agreement with the National Plan of Public Safety of the first management of Lula, and this one it was considering the principles of the Plan of the management of FHC, demonstrating a continuity, which was not observed in the previous periods. Such a program seeks to hone the police apparatus and the police has the historic role of auxiliar to build democracy its being your function to protect rights and freedoms.
This stance seeks to break with the dominant model of police, which is to be an institution responsible only for protecting people and property, making use of physical force. However, the SENASP (2007) expresses that the condition that defines the police is that it is to be in the service of the community.
In this sense, crime prevention and fear reduction are deeply linked to the rebuilding of strong communities (GIDDENS, 2005). Thus the approchement between the police and society can be considered a positive factor to strengthen the fight against violence. Under this perspective, Beato and Marinho (2006) stand out that the models adopted in Brazil over time have proved insufficient to respond to the demands originating of society. There was a professionalization of police actions, but this fact led to isolation in relation to the community, centralization of decisions and only reactive action.
In Brazil according to Ribeiro (2014), the community policing model was introduced starting in the 1980s. The Military Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro was the precursor organization in the use of this model when translating manuals on the scheme and initiating the implantation of this type of policing already in the year 1983.
Community policing, whose focus is on integration with society, can contribute to the reinsertion of police in the community, through the reconstruction of new ties of interaction. This form seeks to break with the current model of police action in which there is a separation between the security agents and the community in which they are inserted. In addition, stands out a preventive action and focused for the problems on the community (SANTOS et al., 2013).
Table 1 - shows some differences between the Traditional Police and the Community Police
|
TRADITIONAL POLICE |
COMMUNITY POLICE |
|
The police is a organization for to do to accomplish the law ; |
The police are part of the population and receive to provide assistance to the community; |
|
The police have the function of solving crimes; |
The police have the function of solving problems, acting mainly in the prevention; |
|
Efficiency is measured by time-response; |
Efficiency is measured by the non-occurrence of the crime; |
|
The focus of the police is only the criminality, even if it is a small share of the locality; |
The focus of the police is the whole community, wich should be taken as a client; |
|
Who actue in the area is the police officer who is of service; |
Who actue in the area is the police officer responsible for the area; |
|
The police are employed in the incidents; |
The police is more employed in the community problems; |
|
The professionalism of the police is determined by the agility when solving serious crimes; |
The professionalism of the police is highlighted by the closest relationshiping to the community; |
|
The command has the function of providing the police officers with the regulations and the determinations that must be fulfilled; |
The command has the function of introducing the values of the institution; |
|
Are more important are the information that has to relation with some crimes in particular; |
It is given Importance to informations that has relation to the criminal actions of individuals or groups; |
|
The policeman is "lend accounts" only to the superior; |
The police officer also has obligations with society; |
|
The distribution of patrols is made from the peak of occurrences. |
The distribution of patrols is made according to the need of security of the citizens, "24 hours a day". |
Source: Elaborate by the authors (2014)
The Community Police does not seek to solve only the problems related to the crimes, but includes other difficulties faced by the community, acting in partnership with the same. In this perspective, Trojanowicz (1994) apud Senasp (2007) highlights that community policing is not a magic or panacea formula. It is erroneous to expect him to solve all public insecurity; he is only a facilitator of the understanding of the relationship between of the police and population and showing that much of this insecurity is subject to its own action (community). Another issue pointed out by the author is that this way of acting does not depend on the construction or remodeling of physical structures, depends on the police action.
In the same sense, NEV / USP (2009) highlights that conceptually community policing can be interpreted as an organizational philosophy and strategy based on a new partnership between the community and the police, where both must work together to build public safety. From the operational point of view, community policing is adapted to the demands of the public that is atended. The police officer provides a broader service, that is, he conducts patrols and works in the same area, on a permanent basis, working in partnership with the population this surroundings.
It is important to recognize that this new model demand a change in the organizational architecture, since the centralization and rigid hierarchy, called by Beato and Marinho (2006) of bureaucratic professional policing are will be structured in a more organic and symbiotic proposal between police and community.
For this Beato Filho and Ribeiro (2016, p.185) highlights the importance of the reviewing the police model and, especially, of form the interaction with the community, given the low reliability that police institutions transmit to the population. The same authors still emphasize: "It is natural that this portion of the population does not seek the police, after all, it fears that, in an interaction, it ends up victimized by who should protect it."
In his analysis of the model implanted in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Ribeiro (2014, 275) highlights out that in the context from Rio the implantation of community policing programs had always distanced itself from the precepts and guidelines that philosophy proposed. In the author's opinion the term "communitary" was more a semantic resource than proper adherence to the new model of police action as your affirmation expose:
[...] the Initiatives bearing this name actually propose, actually, the installation of policing stations in areas formerly dominated by a violent dispute of 'bandits' ... These are not, therefore, methodologies that aim in the police organization reform; and therefore can not be classified as models. These are programs that aim to extend the provision of police service to a portion of the population of the city of Rio de Janeiro that would otherwise not receive it.
Crowl (2017) when doing an analysis of publications about the tem of the community policing concludes that this model has become an increasingly popular policing strategy in the America. According to their findings, although many police departments claim to do community policing, few agencies have adopted this style of policing or at least elements of it. To this end, the style of community policing currently practiced by police departments may not necessarily increase the legitimacy of the police, particularly if they claim to be doing community policing, but are doing, in actually, another thing else or reproducing old practices. To improve vision about of the citizens of police legitimacy, police officers must workin the procedurally just manner, emphasizing the resolution of strategies and empowering citizens for to work with the police in such a way as to promote decentralization of authority and relations healthy between the community and the police happen.
Community participation is of paramount importance for the review of police action how put Boettke, Lemke and Palagashvili (2015). They highlight out that reforms in the police system must aim have to cultivate community policing, and this requires understanding of the broader institutional environment within which policing takes place. By removing community responsibility, centralization creates the basis for misconduct, abuse and, in general, prevents the resolution of a important problem that needs collective action now and in the future.
The existence of a participatory community and the receptiveness by part of security agents to this participation are fundamental actions for the success of initiatives that seek to develop community policing. Stein and Griffith (2015) argue that the perceptual alignment of the problems of these two main actors of the model is a condition of success for their implantation. If perceptions of a given reality between residents and police officer are misaligned, programs can be not succeed, as security agents may not recognize in depth the problems of the community. For this, the authors point out that police agencies should consider in the training of their agents the development of a multicultural conscience.
Based on the literature on the subject, Santos et. al.(2013) identified five pillars for the development of the Community Police, which are : a) external guidance of the police organization, the same it must recognize that it is an integral part of the community; b) focus on solving problems, should verify the real causes and not only have reactive attitudes; c) partnership, joint action between all involved (police and community); d) accountability, the police must be accountable for their actions; and finally (e) empowerment, delegation and participatory management, this means that both the police and the community should jointly discuss existing problems.
According to NEV/USP (2009), this model of policing presents four common characteristics for its implementation. The first is the construction the trust that must exist between the security agents and the community. Such fact is important in view of the close relationship exist between the two actors. The second is about the decentralization of police activity or immersion in the community, because in order for the police officer to contribute to the community's well-being, he must be integrated with the people that live in her, know your daily life and have the autonomy to take initiatives in local security activities. The third is the emphasis on non-emergency services, that is, it is based on preventive action. Finally, the fourth and last characteristic, is intended for the integrated action between different organs and actors, in front of this there should be the participation of others representatives of the public power in the action.
In turn the Senasp (2007) highlights that community policing must follow some principles, which should guide the police action seeking a new way of interaction with the community. Table 2 shows the 10 principles pointed out by Senasp (2007):
Table 2 - Basic Principles of Community Policing
|
PRINCIPLES FOR IMPLANTATION |
DESCRIPTION |
|
Philosophy and Organizational Strategy |
The police search in the community what their concerns and desires from this to directs for theirs security efforts for the own comumnity. |
|
Commitment of the Organization to the granting of power to the Community |
The community must work in partnership with the police, exercising their rights and duties to identify and solve problems. |
|
Decentralized and Custom Policing |
It's necessary that the police officer knowed and be know by the community. |
|
Preventive resolution of problems in the short and long term |
Centered on the conception that the police need not be triggered by the radio and anticipate the occurrence, generating a reduction in calls to the Military Police Operations Center (COPOM) |
|
Ethics, Legality, Responsibility and Trust |
Community Policing conjecture a new contract between police and society, based on police ethics, legality of their procedures, responsibility and trust between both actors. |
|
Extension of Police Mandate |
The police officer must have autonomy and freedom to take initiatives, obeying to the parameters of responsibility |
|
Helps the People with Specific Needs |
Their commitment should be bound to the most vulnerable people. |
|
Creativity and basic support |
To Rely on those who are at the forefronts of police action |
|
Internal change
|
For the development of Community Policing, the integration of the whole organization is necessary. It is essential that there is a retraining of staff and of the courses. |
|
Construction of the Future |
People should be encouraged to have the police with a mean for the assist them in solving their problems. To do so, the police must provide a personalized service. |
For the implantation of the community policing model, the Senasp (2007) indicates that some criteria must be observed as to: police organization, the security agents and the community.
The police organization needs to be at the service of society, guaranteeing and respecting their rights; must accept that it is part of the penal system; offer a democratic service; to be professional; and accept the practice of planning, coordination and evaluation of their activities, besides developing research in the area.
Already the security agents (police) who are ahead should have more autonomy to make decisions. For this there was "hierarchical change" with more flexibility for part of who is in charge the corporation, since decisions in this modality of policing tend to happen from the bottom up, once the problems of the base must be solved in base own. The police officer must be directly inserted in the community, hence the importance of maintaining fixed scales so that can develop a close/intimate relationship with citizens, being a bridge between the community and the police organization, encouraging the participation of all.
Finally, it is important that the community work in partnership with the police providing the necessary conditions for the development of community policing in the area, helping to identify the problems or even suggesting solutions for the solve them.
Fits highlights there are also obstacles faced in the implantation this model of policing. In this sense, Mesquita Neto (2005), in investigating community policing, based on the vision of the colonels of the State of São Paulo, highlighted out that the main difficulties encountered are: the reactive culture of police activity, because the traditional model it is not based on prevention ; the society itself has expectations of repression of crime and instantaneous actions; limitation of resources (human, structural and financial) for the implantation and operationalization of the model, because there is an expansion of services to be performed; existing conflicts due to hierarchical issues; and conflicts between the police and other organs of public administration.
NEV/USP (2009), in turn, highlights other possible impediments to the effective implantation of the community policing model. One of the impediments presented is the lack of political interest in developing a new model of action, due to lack of knowledge or fear of the proposed changes. This model, because it is based on the relationship of trust with the community, needs time to be implanted and operationalized. The lack of continuity and the high turnover of the agents involved fundamentally compromise community policing.
The relationship of trust is another obstacle pointed out by the authors, because the population still perceives the police only one as repressors and unreliable agents. There is also a low associative culture on the part of the population, where there is resistance to actions that problematize community life.
Demirkol and Nalla (2017) highlight the importance of working the police culture so that community policing activities can to reach the desired success, as the results of their research made in Turkey find a correlation between police culture and the implementation of community policing programs. The authors report that there are several police cultures and these should be considered at the time of implantation of the new model. In addition, the selection of the agents that will develop the program is of fundamental importance, since not all have the profile that the model demands. Finally, there is an emphasis on the training process of future security agents. They should be trained in themes such as social history, "community as a living body" and skills about community policing.
3. materials and methods
The present work is characterized as a case study on the Brisa do Lago Community Policing Base located in the neighborhood Olho D'água dos Cazuzinhas in the municipality of Arapiraca-Alagoas. According to Yin (2010, p.39) the case study "[...] is an empirical investigation that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and in its real-life context [...]". The methodological choice seeks to respond to the central objective of the work that is to describe how community policing was developed by the Police Base of the Brisa do Lago residential set in Arapiraca during operations between the years of 2012 to 2016.
To highlight that the place of the investigation was the second community base implanted in the city of Arapiraca and one of the first five in the State of Alagoas. The period of analysis was from the start of activities, 2012 until the base was decommissioned in early 2016.
The present research can be subdivided into two stages: first, a bibliographic survey was carried out on community policing in order to deepen knowledge about the theme. According to Gil (2010, p.29) "The bibliographic research is based on material already published. Traditionally, this research modality includes printed material such as books, magazines, newspapers, theses, dissertations and annals of scientific events. "The main base used for the research was the publications prepared by the National Secretariat of Public Security (SENASP), an organ linked to the Ministry of Justice. In addition were consulted, articles and other bibliographies who talk about the topic of community policing and violence.
In the second moment, a field research was carried out, which is "one used to obtain information and / or knowledge about a problem, for which a response is sought, or a hypothesis, that one want to prove or, yet, to discover new phenomena or the relation between them "(Marconi, Lakatos, 2003, p.189). The part of the field involved visits to the 3rd Battalion of the Military Police of Alagoas (3ºBPM / AL) and to the residential set Brisa do Lago.
The Date collected shows interviews realized with actors directly or indirectly involved in the research object. According to Marconi and Lakatos (2015, p.80) the interview "is a procedure used in social investigation, for the collection of data or to aid in the diagnosis or treatment of a social problem." The authors point out that the purpose of the interview is to obtain information from the interviewee. The interviews were recorded and performed from a semi-structured script. The script consisted of questions that wich dealt with the phases of: implantation, operationalization and deactivation of the Community Police in the Brisa do Lago neighborhood. Participated in the interviews: a police officer who worked in the community base between the years 2014 until the base deactivation in 2016; the president of the neighborhood residents' association, who has been living in the community for two years; and a resident who resides in the neighborhood since 2012, the base's implementation period. The choice of the interviewees was based in theirs experiences in the neighborhood, with direct or indirect link with community policing.
The step that aims to extract meaning from the collected data and enable the understanding of the object investigated, how higlights Creswell (2010), was adopted the thematic content analysis proposed by Gomes (2009). The analysis of thematic content has as investigative centrality the theme, which in the case of the present proposal is to describe how was developed the community policing by the Brisa do Lago Police Base in the period from 2012 to 2016.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Brisa do Lago residence set is located in the neighborhood Olho D'água dos Cazuzinhas and has approximately two thousand families. The residences began to be delivered in the first half of 2012, according to the chairman of the residents' association of the set.
The community policing base was inaugurated in 2012 and was in the operation until the beginning of 2016. At first, the policing executed out by the Brisa do Lago Police Base was that of community philosophy, was geared towards more social work. Shifts were divided in four (A, B, C, D) each one compound for four officers, can reach up to five, depending on availability. The comand of the base was relative, with no definite term, being able to change with each scale of service.
The police base was subordinate to the 3rd BPM and gave support police to the following neighborhoods: Olho D'água dos Cazuzinhas, Boa Vista, Cacimbas I and II. In 2015, the police Base of the set Brisa of the Lago had its area of operation expanded passing from then on give support to areas that were the responsibility of another base.
The police officer interviewed informed that at the beginning a differentiated policing was developed, aimed at the social and the educative area, and that for this was utilizations communication techniques during the visits, which were made regularly to the residences. Such meetings had aimed at knowing the main needs and criticisms regarding the work of the police in the locality. At this point we can see an attempt to align the perceptions that is the key for the implantation success of the model as highlight Stein and Griffith (2015).
In addition to this fact, the proposal had a more preventive than a repressive perspective. This point is in line with the principles of community policing proposed by the literatures consulted Senasp (2007), NEV / USP (2009) and Santos et. al. (2013):
It was a policing until then differentiated that interacted much with the community right? It was a policing more oriented to the social area, right? For the educative area right? And for this we utilizate various techniques of communication and interaction with society, right? For example, visiting the residences trying to find out if the people there were in need of anything, if they needed anything in relation to us too ... it was a policing more preventive rather than repressive (Policeman)
Even not being it is a criterion for the services scale, the most police officers that worked of the base already familiar with community policing before acting at the Base. This was due to the fact that they had a discipline related to the theme during the training course. In addition, the knowledge about the modality was shared informally among the garrisons. This fact reinforces the importance of the development of a new police culture from the training of the new agents, a fact highlight by the Demirkol and Nalla (2017).
The interviewee said he did no receive kind of advantage from the corporation, such as differentiated scales for example. The state did not fomenting policies that to benefit the police officers who was acting in this area, and no received no any incentive by party by the same.
In these points, previously described, we observed a possible problem that could weaken the implantation of the methodology, because as the philosophy proposes the paradigm change if do necessary construction a environment conducive to such. This change if materialize through awareness-raising and capacity-building actions, as well as mechanisms that encourage the adoption of the new philosophy by part of security agents. The neglect of these points can lead to obstacles to the implantation of the proposal as points out NEV/USP (2009).
When we analyze the other actors, community leader and dweller, we realized that there was no concern in work this audience at the time of implantation of the proposal. Overall, interviewees said they knew what they were or had heard about it, however there is an unfamiliarity general or a misinterpretation than would be the model.
When we question the president of the association about the knowledge of the community policing model, The same highlights:
I understand that community policing is the one that the community participates in ... and that the police are at our service ... the communitary police, people think that they are there to coerce the citizen, when in fact the police are there to protect the citizen, is as friend of the citizen. (President of the association)
Already interviewees dweller was not able to inform when was inaugurated the Police Base. And about community policing, the dweller said it already had heard of, but that in the neighborhood did not know if it existed.
In both reports it can be evidences flaws in the process of communication and community preparation for the implantation of the new form of the police interaction with community. This preparation is central point to the establishment of a relationship of trust among the actors involved.
About the scale and amount of effective employed in the area daily had had a variation between four and six policemen. Being this effective insufficient to covers demand, since addition to the neighborhood Olho D'água dos Cazuzinhas, where the Conjunto Brisa do Lago and the Community Base is located, three neighborhoods were further covered (Boa Vista and Cacimbas I and II ). After closure of the Base of the Primavera neighborhood, for lack of staff in 2015, the police officers crowded at Brisa do Lago Base have broadened their radius of performance, because they have passed also to given support to other neighborhoods.
The scale was not fixed, there being constant changes of the policemen who worked in the set, due to the necessity of services as vacations and licenses. This fact compromises the operationalization of the policing modality, because the police agent, faced with so many changes ends up not being part of the community. Fits highlight that the relationship of trust between community and police must be established so that the model can be effectively implanted. In addition, the insertion of police officer in the community is of paramount importance so that same (police officer) can be recognized as belonging to that environment and thus can be act in together with the community in the preventive solution of the problems.
The limitations of resources, mainly human, were highlighted by Mesquita Neto (2005), in the case analyzed in São Paulo, as one of the obstacles the implantation of community policing. This shortages often unrolls in a actuation focused only on the incidents (reactive) and without the creation of ties with the community. These facts ends up for reproducing the characteristics of the traditional model.
The police officer interviewed said that he was not participating in any project of the community, neither had no contact with the neighborhood residents association, was not participating in none meetings with the Municipal Council of the County Safety and that community complaints were normally taken directly to 3rd BPM, and passed on for they to performed.
He explained that the community was interacting with the police in a way very informal during the visit or police rounds. There was not effectively no adaptation in the services offered to the community; basically were utilizated the same logic of the other modalities of policing was used. The following excerpt gives support to this reflection.
[..]. The community association interacted more with the command of the base, or directly here with the command of the 3rd Battalion, to which Brisa do Lago was subordinate ... And so our contact with the people of neighborhood association was not constant, since they coming more to the battalion to request the demands and the battalion was passing for us this demands that were placed into practice.(Police officer).
The president of the Association when asked about the operationalization of the base declared that the effective was insufficient to cover the area. About the interaction between police and society says that there was no rapprochement between the police and the community. He believes that many residents do not know the police emergency number. The police officers was not participating in the meetings promoted in the association monthly, as also have not involve in any project of the set. As well as, the president, did not reported to participate attending the meetings of the Municipal Security Council.
Regarding the services offered by the police to the community it was reported that the actions were always more directed towards the direct combat of criminality. Currently these actions are highlighted with the presences of the PM helicopter. "In fact there is a separation between the community and the police, right? We do not have this contact. "For you to see [...] the police here inside the community works with action right? [...]".
The answers informed by the resident for the same object of analysis also converge to the notes of the president of the association. For him, the quantity of policemen that was employee in the set was insufficient, since the area is big and divided in two parts, not being possible cover all of it with only one police car.
Considering the police's relationship with the community, the interviewee explained that police officers if there was present when if there was an occurrence, even though they are not always available when requested, evidencing that they were doing a predominantly repressive work the criminality, there being no therefore none adaptations in services provided to that community, as can be seeming the stretch following:
So the relationship of the police with the community was like this, only same when there is occurrence is that the people calls, they coming, they do their work correct right? ... Once lost is that they have been doing rounds the night, weekend [...] (dweller)
All the interviews reported the insufficiency of the effective for the development of the activities of both traditional policing and the community model. There is a large lags between the number of police officers foreseen and the effective available to act as public security agents. Graph 01, elaborate from the data of the 3rd BPM, show this lag that the exist in the effective.
Graph 01 - The Effective Police officer Predicted and Existing in the 3rd BPM
Source: Data obtained in the 3rd BPM, October 2016
Regarding the necessary resources and the autonomy in decision-making related to the problems of the area, the police officer highlighted out that the resources offered were insufficient to develop the activities. Deficiency in the technical apparatus, related to police car, vests, radio for communication, being necessary the use of personal phones of the PMs. Trojanowicz (as cited in SENASP, 2007) points out that community policing does not depend on the physical structure, however, not having the minimum actuation conditions end up compromising the implantation of the model, considering that personal resources were used to in the promotion of services.
Despite had having rights some autonomy for to solve problems, they bumped into the problems that were beyond their competence, that were directed to the Battalion. Decentralization is considered as a determining factor for the success of the model, because the demands emerge from the bottom up. The Agents that having direct contact with the community should had having the autonomy to work the solutions defendants. However, this paradigm go meets the military culture of respect to hierarchy.
Concerning the perception of local violence reduction, the policeman affirmed that it was possible to identify this decrease. When the set Brisa do Lago was inaugurated people of "critical areas" if it settled in the set, they were constant the complaints of the population related to the robberies, homicides, etc. With the implementation of the Base there was a monthly reduction of these incidents, and that, according to him, was evidenced in the statistics.
The president of the association relates that there was reduction of the local violence after the implementation of the police officer Base. He stated that due of the constant presence of the police on the place, with the approaches, and the presence of the helicopter, was perceived a reduction related to drugs, weapons, robberies and theft. Despite did not to know the indexes of this reduction, he affirms that in the eyes of the local population this is decrease of crime in the area is evidenced.
However, in relation to Community Policing, did not stay evidenced the relevance to the community in this sense. This fact can be perceived by the low level of interaction between the actors, police and community. This lack of perception of the community it is conditioned by the fact that was developed in the object of analysis, the realization a traditional practice of if to do policing. Did had only the communitarian name, however, the facts show the olds practices of action.
However, it can be seen in the president's speech that the community actuation of the police could bring actions that it can reduce the problems of violence in the region, mainly those related to domestic violence.
With the presence of the police there was, right? The role of the police, there was, is (pause) I do not know to what level there was the decrease of the violence rate, but it is (pause) in the eyes of the population, there was. After they started doing this work with the helicopter, with the entrance, with approachs, understood? ... including if the basis had been operating also, both the domestic and child violence, teenager, these things: familiar. Because the community, that is, the police officer, the community policing is the one that works inside the family, right? Within the family redoubt, reducing violence also within the family (president of the association).
In spite of community policing presents fundamentals that promise good results in combat and, mainly, in the prevention of violence and crime, in Arapiraca the model did not have continuity.
The Base ran from 2012 to the beginning of 2016. For the police officer, the lack of the effective, the deficit of police officers in the street caused the police officers of the base of the set Brisa do Lago to be employed at policing considered to more relevant and serving a larger number of neighborhoods, and still allocated in others grouping of the Military Police of the State.
An earlier study carried out on community policing in the municipality of Arapiraca points to some factors that may have influenced for that this model does not continue to be developed in the city. The study shows that Community Policing was not really effective in Alagoas and presents the following factors as cause:
The absence of a formal institutional policy directed towards the implantation of community policing in the units; difficulty in the compatibility of the Community Police philosophy with the already existing police service; little professional qualification of the effectives in this new philosophy of policing; insufficiency of material and human resources, and difficulty of the bringing the population closer to the police, still associated with existing cultural values (AMORIM, 2015, p.17).
The factors presented converge to those that was identified in the present research, mainly: lack of the effective; scarcity of material resources; lack of insertion of the security agents in the community; and, lastly, the maintenance of old practices of police action. In view of this we can evidence that community policing did not materialized in the residential set Brisa do Lago.
5. CONCLUSION
One of the most apparent problems in actual's society is in the field of public security, mainly in the large centers. It has been identified in recent years a rapid growth and development of the city of Arapiraca and that linked to this also arose a rise in index of violence. Given this context, the need to implementation of effective public policies in the area of public security emerges to heal this problem. To that, generally governments invest in emergency measures which focus only in punctual problems, but that do not seek to acts on the causes by investing in substantially repressive measures. In contraposition, community policing brings the proposal of a policing aimed at prevention and proactivity, in which all can being to recognize each other as responsible for security.
Situated in this discussion, the article was main objective to describe how was developed community policing by the Police Base of the Brisa do Lago residential set during its operation. In this sense, from the reports it can be inferred that the low police effective employed to cover the area was decisive for the closure of the Base. As for the failure of community policing, was evidenced that philosophy has not totally implanted in that community, being essential a preparation within the police organization, as well as the establishing an institutional policy so that it is able to guide and support its police officers.
It is recognized to be fundamental for front-line police officers to be previously trained and sensitized to the new philosophy, in addition to maintaining a fixed scale so that the community is able to recognize the policeman of the area facilitating the establishment of the necessary trust relationship. In addition, other public policies used as preventive mechanisms to combat violence should be part of the proposal, with actions focused on areas related to sports, culture and education.
In addition, the community needs to be prepared to the receive community police officer, the associations of the neighborhood can be a mechanism used for this purpose, because without the joint actuation of all involved actors the new solutions will only stay in the field of ideas and the so-called "New" will be developed with the old practices.
Finally, as a suggestion of future work, it has the proposal, the to enlarge the investigative environment to other community bases implanted in the State of Alagoas, in order to analyze whether their activities are associated with the precepts of community policing or if are only realities similar to those found in Brisa do Lago Community Base, that is, they have represented a governmental proposal with the "feet of clay".
6. REFERENCES
AMORIM, C. S. de. O policiamento comunitário como alternativa de redução do crime e da violência no município de Arapiraca/AL. 21 f. Monografia - Academia de Polícia Militar Senador Arnon De Mello, Polícia Militar de Alagoas. 2015
BEATO FILHO, C. C. Políticas públicas de segurança e a questão policial. São Paulo em Perspectiva, [s.l.], v. 13, n. 4, p.13-27, dez. 1999
BEATO FILHO, C.; RIBEIRO, L. Discutindo a reforma das polícias no Brasil. Civitas - Revista de Ciências Sociais, [s.l.], v. 16, n. 4, p.174-204, 31 dez 2016.
BEATO, C.; MARINHO, K. R. L. Estratégia Organizacional de Policiamento Comunitário nas Cidades de Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro e Vitória. Brasília: SENASP/MJ. 2006
BOETTKE, Peter J.; LEMKE, Jayme S.; PALAGASHVILI, Liya. Re-evaluating community policing in a polycentric system. Journal Of Institutional Economics, [s.l.], v. 12, n. 02, p.305-325, 10 set. 2015. Cambridge University Press (CUP).
BRASIL, Constituição 1988. Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil. Brasília, DF: Senado. 1988
BRASIL, Presidência da República. Decreto nº 7.037, de 21 de dezembro de 2009. Disponível em: <www.planalto.gov.br/civil_03/_Ato 2007/2009/Decreto/D7037>. Acesso em 25 de out de 2016.
BRASIL, Presidência da República. Lei nº 7.026 de 26 de Junho de 2015. Disponível em: <http://zip.net/blts38>. Acesso em 03 de set de 2016.
CRESWELL, J. W. Projeto de pesquisa: método qualitativo, quantitativo e misto. 3. ed. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2010.
CROWL, Justin N. The effect of community policing on fear and crime reduction, police legitimacy and job satisfaction: an empirical review of the evidence. Police Practice And Research, [s.l.], v. 18, n. 5, p.449-462, 14 mar. 2017. Informa UK Limited.
DEMIRKOL, Ismail Cenk; NALLA, Mahesh K. How does police culture shape officers’ support for community policing? Policing And Society, [s.l.], p.1-14, 3 dez. 2017. Informa UK Limited.
GIDDENS, A. Sociologia. – 4. ed. – Porto Alegre: Artmed. 2005.
GIL, A. C. Como Elaborar Projetos de Pesquisa / Antonio Carlos Gil. – 5. ed. – São Paulo: Atlas. 2010.
IPEA - Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada – Nota Técnica Atlas da Violência 2016 – Ipea e FBSP (Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública) nº 17, por Daniel Cerqueira, Helder Ferreira, Renato Sergio de Lima, Samira Bueno, Olaya Hanashiro, Filipe Batista e Patricia Nicolato – Brasília, março de 2016. Disponível em: <http://zip.net/brtFB5>. Acesso em: 25 de fev de 2017.
LAKATOS, E.M., MARCONI, M. de A. Fundamentos de metodologia científica. 5. ed. São Paulo: Atlas. 2003
MARCONI, M. de A.; LAKATOS, E. M. Técnicas de Pesquisa: Planejamento e execução de pesquisas, amostras e técnicas de pesquisa, elaboração, análise e interpretação de dados. 7. ed. São Paulo: Atlas. 2015
MENDONÇA, R. F. e SANTOS, D. B. A Cooperação na Deliberação Pública: Um Estudo de Caso sobre o Referendo da Proibição da Comercialização de Armas de Fogo no Brasil. / Revista de Ciências Sociais, Rio de Janeiro, vol. 52, nº 2, , pp. 507 a 542. 2009
MESQUITA NETO, P. de. Policiamento comunitário e prevenção do crime: a visão dos coronéis da Polícia Militar. São Paulo em Perspectiva, [s.l.], v. 18, n. 1, p.103-110. 2004
NEV/USP - NÚCLEO DE ESTUDOS DA VIOLÊNCIA DA UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO. Manual de Policiamento Comunitário: Polícia e Comunidade na Construção da Segurança. 2009 Disponível em: <http://www.dhnet.org.br/dados/manuais/dh/manual_policiamento_comunitario.pdf>. Acesso em: 15 mar. 2017.
RIBEIRO, Ludmila. O nascimento da polícia moderna: uma análise dos programas de policiamento comunitárioimplementados na cidade do Rio de Janeiro (1983-2012). Análise Social, Lisboa, v. 49, n. 211, p.272-309, abr./jun. 2014.
SANTOS, J. V. T. dos et al. Programa de Polícia Comunitária no Brasil: avaliação de propostas de políticas públicas de segurança. 2013 Disponível em: <file:///C:/Users/Rodolfo Lima/Downloads/3-Programas de polícia comunitária no Brasil-3 (1).pdf>. Acesso em: 20 fev. 2017.
SECCHI, L. Políticas Públicas: conceitos, esquemas de análise, casos práticos / Leonardo Secchi. 2. ed. São Paulo: Cengage Learning. 2013
SENASP - SECRETARIA NACIONAL DE SEGURANÇA PÚBLICA Curso Nacional de Promotor de Polícia Comunitária / Grupo de Trabalho, Portaria SENASP nº 002/2007 – Brasília – DF: Secretaria Nacional de Segurança Pública – SENASP. 2007
SENTO-SÉ, João Trajano et al. Os conselhos comunitários de segurança pública: dinâmicas e avanços de uma política pública no rio de janeiro / The Community Advice for Public Safety. Geo Uerj, [s.l.], n. 31, p.151-176, 30 dez. 2017
SOARES, L. E. A política nacional de segurança pública: histórico, dilemas e perspectivas. Por Luiz Eduardo Soares. Estudos Avançados 21 (61). 2007 Disponível em: <http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ea/v21n61/a06v2161.pdf->. Acesso em: 07 de mar de 2015.
SOARES, L. E. “Segurança Municipal no Brasil – Sugestões para uma Agenda Mínima”. In João Trajano Sento-Sé (org.). Prevenção da Violência: o papel das cidades. Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira. 2005
SOUZA NETO, C. P. de. A segurança pública na Constituição Federal de 1988: conceituação constitucionalmente adequada, competências federativas e órgãos de execução das políticas. Atualidades jurídicas, Brasília, n. 1, mar./abr., p. 47–48. 2008
STEIN, Rachel E.; GRIFFITH, Candace. Resident and Police Perceptions of the Neighborhood. Criminal Justice Policy Review, [s.l.], v. 28, n. 2, p.139-154, 25 jul. 2016. SAGE Publications.
VIERA, M. M. F. Por uma boa pesquisa (qualitativa) em administração. In: VIERA, M. M. F.; ZOUAIN, D. M. (Org.). Pesquisa Qualitativa em Administração. 2. ed. Rio de Janeiro: FGV, 2006. p. 13-28.
WAISELFISZ, J. J. Mapa da violência 2016: homicídios por arma de fogo. Disponível em: <http://www.mapadaviolencia.org.br/pdf2016/Mapa2016_armas_web.pdf>. Acesso em: 20 mar. 2017.
YIN, R. K. Estudo de caso: planejamento e métodos. 4. ed. Porto Alegre: Bookman. 2010
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.