A spike in police killings in São Paulo is linked to waning political will and weakened institutional structures for body-worn cameras.
By: Inês Gaurim Sousa
In 2020, the “Olho Vivo” project introduced body-worn cameras (BWC) to the São Paulo State Military Police (PMESP) with the intent of recording officers’ actions throughout their working hours and reducing unlawful and excessive use of force. Between 2020 and 2022, the project was regarded as a hugely promising initiative in regulating police force: reported deaths due to police interventions dropped sharply by 63% in the first year; among children and young adults (aged 10 to 19 years) mortality reduced by 67% by the second year. While these changes cannot be solely attributed to the usage of BWC – as this period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and, thus, a drastic change in the routines of Brazilians and in their interactions with police – data gathered by the Forum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública and UNICEF indicates they still had a key role in controlling the levels of force used by officers.
These reductions, however, have not been sustained. The same report shows that, between 2022 and 2024, deaths by police intervention grew by around 154%, and police lethality among children and young adults increased by 133%. This sharp reversal has been attributed to several constraints, such as difficulties faced by criminal justice actors in gaining access to footage, as policy surrounding the management of this technology remains weak. In fact, the PMESP itself controls the BWC’s image management system, lacking clear protocols for the sharing and disclosure of footage, which has allowed it to repeatedly prevent the Public Defender’s Office from accessing images. Changes to the political climate have also had an impact, such as Tarcísio de Freitas’ questioning of the benefits of body cameras both during his electoral campaign and after being elected Governor. Subsequent personnel changes and measures weakening internal oversight mechanisms have further compromised the adherence, legitimacy and effectiveness of the BWC scheme.
Fundamentally, this abrupt shift shows that maintaining the previous positive results doesn’t depend just on the availability of the technology, but also on the mechanisms which supervise, control and sanction its usage. The equipment itself (BWC) isn’t a fix-all for police brutality. BWCs can contribute to the professionalisation of police forces, to the safety of officers who follow protocols, to the control of unlawful use of force and the improvement of evidence for the justice system. However, all of this is only possible in a supportive political and institutional environment, conducive to the establishment of appropriate safeguards and oversights.
Full report available here: As câmeras corporais na Polícia Militar do Estado de São Paulo (2ª edição): mudanças na política e impacto nas mortes de adolescentes