São Paulo: Teenage deaths decrease with police body cameras
The adoption of portable body cameras by some military police battalions in São Paulo reduced the number of children and adolescents killed during officer interventions by 66.3 percent in 2022 compared to 2019. Lethality among black individuals decreased by 64 percent. However, this population remains disproportionately affected.
The research report titled "The Body Cameras in the Military Police of São Paulo: Implementation Process and Impact on Teen Deaths," released by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Brazilian Forum for Public Safety (FBSP) on Tuesday (May 16), provides the relevant data.
The study reveals that in 2019, 102 adolescents lost their lives in São Paulo due to police interventions without the use of the device. However, after the adoption of the technology by 62 out of 135 battalions last year, the number decreased significantly to 34.
Comparing the data to 2017, the first year of the historical series, when 177 teenagers were killed in police interventions, there has been a significant 80 percent reduction. Study coordinator Samira Bueno, who is the executive director of the Brazilian Forum for Public Safety, stated that teenagers, previously the main group with the highest death rate in police interventions, are no longer the primary affected group in 2022.
Bueno highlighted that São Paulo has a unique characteristic compared to the rest of the country: a high incidence of adolescent victimization by active police officers.
"In 2017, the starting point of our analysis, teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 accounted for 35 percent of the victims of on-duty military police actions in São Paulo. This percentage is significantly higher than the national average of 12 percent. In São Paulo, the number of adolescents killed in police interventions was three times higher than the national average," she said.
Adriana Alvarenga, head of Unicef's office in São Paulo, expresses significant concern over the deaths of children and adolescents caused by the military police in the region.
"Previously, adolescents had the highest rates of deaths resulting from police intervention. However, since 2020, this trend has shifted significantly. The number of teenagers killed violently, including deaths due to police intervention, has decreased significantly in a short span of time. This decline coincided with the adoption of portable operational cameras," she stated.
Alvarenga expects that other states will adopt this technology to prevent deaths in police actions: "We hope that this study encourages other states to adopt similar initiatives, bearing in mind that simply implementing cameras is not enough. While cameras are essential, they should be accompanied by a comprehensive set of measures."
Black population
In terms of race, the study highlights that the black population remains disproportionately affected by police interventions. However, there has been a reduction in lethality against this group since the implementation of cameras. When comparing data from 2022 to 2019, death rates by police decreased by 66.2 percent among whites and 64.3 percent among blacks.
"The black population continues to experience three times more lethal force by the military police compared to the white population. The implementation of cameras has contributed to the reduction in deaths among both black and white individuals," stated the coordinator.
Since 2020, the São Paulo military police have been utilizing portable operational cameras, commonly known as body cameras. These devices are attached to the uniforms of police officers to monitor their actions on the streets. The aim of the São Paulo state government in implementing these cameras is to mitigate instances of police violence.
Police Lethality
In general, the lethality resulting from on-duty police actions decreased by 62.7 percent, with 697 deaths in 2019 dropping to 260 in 2022. The decline was even more significant in the 62 battalions that adopted the equipment, with a 76.2 percent reduction between 2019 and 2022, saving the lives of 184 individuals. Conversely, the 73 battalions without the technology saw a smaller reduction of 33.3 percent.
Safety and integrity
The São Paulo Secretariat of Public Security (SSP-SP), stated during an interview with Agência Brasil, that the study supports the measures implemented by the Secretariat to improve the security and well-being of both the population and police officers.
According to the secretariat, a total of 10,100 body cameras have been deployed in 63 battalions and military police teaching units. This initiative has boosted transparency in police actions, strengthened evidence collection, improved security, and enhanced the quality of teaching through case study analysis.
The secretariat also stated that it has acquired less lethal equipment, such as teasers (neuromuscular incapacitation weapons) and pepper sprays (sprinklers), with the aim of reducing lethality in police actions.
