Brazil Policing Data Diverge: Rio Logs Record Rifle Seizures as Santa Catarina Police Killings Climb

Overview

• The Rio de Janeiro state public security institute reported 920 assault rifles seized in 2025, a 25.7% increase and the highest annual total since the series began in 2007.
• Property crimes in Rio fell year over year, with vehicle robbery down 18.4%, street robbery down 2.7%, cargo theft down 9.4%, and robbery leading to death down 22%.
• Rio also recorded 797 deaths from police intervention in 2025, up 13% from 2024, including 121 deaths during a single operation in the Alemão and Penha complexes.
• In Santa Catarina, 100 people were killed in police interventions in 2025, a 26% rise from 2024, with 25% of victims lacking criminal records and no officers killed in confrontations.
• Officials attribute Rio’s numbers to intelligence-led policing and interagency integration, while Santa Catarina’s security chief links the rise to a surge in operations as researchers urge training and oversight reforms.