Bahia Governor Sets Law-Bound Crackdown, Details Police Hiring, Camera Expansion

Overview

• Jerônimo Rodrigues reaffirmed a hard line against organized crime, saying "a good criminal is a jailed criminal," while rejecting a "killer state."
• Nearly 2,000 military police were recently deployed, with roughly 2,000 more expected by May or June next year, alongside additions in civil police, firefighters and technical staff.
• The state authorized a Polícia Civil recruitment contest for 750 positions—500 investigators, 150 clerks and 100 delegates—with registration dates still pending.
• The governor plans to expand body-worn cameras in 2026 and asked Security Secretary Marcelo Werner to assess improvements after MP-BA flagged underuse and weak controls.
• He highlighted purchases of more powerful weapons and noted a VLT train’s arrival in Salvador this month, while accusing opponents of exploiting crime data for electoral gain.