MG: police officers denounce low salaries and lack of structure to combat factions

While Criminal factions from outside the State, such as the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and the Comando Vermelho (CV), ‘take over’ Minas Gerais, police officers, mayors and representatives of the security forces denounce the precariousness that puts the fight against crime at risk. With a starting salary of R$5,097 and net earnings of around R$4,000, military police officers feel undervalued — the amount is almost 40% lower than that paid in Paraná, in the south of Brazil, which leads the remuneration ranking. Furthermore, agents need to deal with the lack of structure to work. Reports show that even vehicle tires need to be donated by municipalities.

One of the main factors that make fighting crime difficult, according to police officers interviewed for the report, is the lack of manpower. “We even have police cars, but many are parked in the yard, as there is a lack of police officers. This harms actions to combat and repress drug trafficking, for example,” says an anonymous agent.

The numbers prove the drop in personnel. In a public hearing held at the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais (ALMG), state deputy Sergeant Rodrigues (PL) reported that the Military Police (PM) already had a workforce of 45 thousand men and today has 37 thousand. In the Civil Police, it would have fallen from 17 thousand to 10.5 thousand.

The drop in police officers is explained, according to sub-lieutenant Heder Martins de Oliveira, president of the Association of Police Officers and Firefighters of Minas Gerais (Aspra), by the lack of desire of potential officers to join the corporation due to the salary being considered low. A survey carried out by the National Federation of Soldiers (Anaspra) shows that Minas Gerais has the 17th salary in the country for soldiers.

“Police officers feel that the government has not given the due attention that the category deserves. It’s a more motivational, feeling issue. We had salary recovery in 2022. The government made a commitment to redo it with inflationary losses taking into account the Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA), but we have no prospects for when this will happen”, he states.

Who corroborates the criticisms related to police officers’ salaries and agents’ lack of motivation is Sergeant Marco Antônio Bahia Silva, vice-president of Aspra. “Whoever takes to the streets to fight crime is from the soldier to the sub-lieutenant. We were once the fourth best soldier salary in the country. In the long term, we run the risk of not having police officers. The risk of death in the confrontation, combined with the salary issue, is discouraging people from taking the exam. As much as a person wants to work and has the desire to act, what will motivate them is the salary.”

Those who are active talk about what they go through and what they notice in corporate colleagues. “It is increasingly common to see police officers having to do odd jobs to supplement their income. The roles are diverse: app driver, electrician, security and more. Our salary, in fact, is out of date. Purchasing power is only decreasing. This is notorious. The amount we receive does not keep up with inflation. It’s not easy”, says another police officer who will also have his identity preserved.

The situation is also lamented by another police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. “With each passing day, the police officer sees his salary being consumed by inflation, giving him less and less purchasing power and with no prospect of these inflationary losses being compensated by the government.”

In addition to salary devaluation, police officers remember that they also face another type of “pressure”. “The government pressures us to reduce statistics and increases the pressure on those in operational service. All of this contributes greatly to demotivating the police officer”, says an officer.

Protest

The demand for the recovery of inflationary losses motivated a demonstration by public security employees in Minas Gerais, this Wednesday (April 24), in front of the residence of governor Romeu Zema (Novo). According to the Civil Police Servants Union (Sindpol-MG), around 50 people attended the demonstration.

The police carried a banner reading: “Zema is a liar, he defaulted on the security staff” and shouted slogans, asking the government of Minas Gerais to fulfill its promise of inflationary compensation for civil servants.

A new demonstration was scheduled for next Tuesday (April 30), in the Administrative City. The expectation is that civil, military, criminal police and the Fire Department will participate.

Situation ‘calls for help’

Mayor of Teófilo Otoni, in Vale do Mucuri, and president of the Frente Mineira de Mayors (FMP) Daniel Sucupira (PT), states that the situation is worrying in the city and in other municipalities in the interior of the State. As he reports, city halls often even need to donate tires so that police vehicles can operate. This year alone, he says, the municipal executive transferred R$60,000 to the Military Police. As for the Civil Police, says the mayor, the amount reached R$2 million in the last eight years, in the form of direct resources or other expenses, such as unit renovations.

“We are living in a moment of great anxiety on the part of the community, with an increase in violence. The Civil and Military Police are trying hard, giving their lives for society, but on the other hand they don’t see support and encouragement. Before, Minas Gerais heard about the PCC and Comando Vermelho only in news coming from abroad. Now, we have to live with this situation, but there is a lack of investment to combat it, impacting the entire dynamics of public security,” he says.

In this scenario, the “audacity” of criminals would only increase. On March 8, the house of a police officer in the municipality was the target of several shots as a form of intimidation. At the time of the attack, he was working, but his wife and daughters were at home. They were not injured.

A video circulating on social media also shows highly armed bandits, believed to be from the Red Command, warning the police to “not meddle” with their war against the PCC. And the police would really be struggling to be everywhere and combat crime. “It is an almost impossible human effort to cover a large area with a lack of personnel”, highlights Sucupira.

Crime growth

Security specialist, Luis Flávio Sapori highlights that, in fact, the actions of the PCC and Comando Vermelho are taking up more and more space in the sale of drugs in Minas Gerais cities. On the other hand, he says, police salaries are out of date and logistical resources are not ideal. This does not mean, however, according to him, that the security forces ‘aren’t getting the job done’. “Minas Gerais is prepared to deal with this reality.”

Even so, as this scenario intensifies, it is necessary to enhance certain fronts. “It is necessary to increase integrated intelligence work between the Military, Civil, Federal, Highway Police and the State Public Ministry. They need to work by sharing information, even under non-ideal conditions, for excellent results”, he highlights.

Placements

The report contacted the Military and Civil Police, as well as the State Secretariats for Planning and Management of Minas Gerais (Seplag) and Justice and Public Security (Sejusp), but received no response until the publication of this article. The space remains open.

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