Overview
- Bill 6027/2025, approved on September 24, would pay civil police 10% to 150% of salary for seizing restricted weapons and for “neutralizing” suspects, a term a sponsor said means killing.
- Governor Cláudio Castro has 15 days to accept or veto the measure in whole or in part, with the decision still pending.
- Federal prosecutors urged a veto, citing constitutional violations and an April Supreme Court order to reduce police killings, while Human Rights Watch warned the plan encourages lethal force and impunity.
- The legislation also curtails forensic independence by giving CORE exclusive explosives analysis and expanding roles of fingerprint experts under police chiefs; a separate bill passed on September 30 keeps forensic services subordinated to police leadership.
- Police killings in Rio have fallen to a decade low following the 2023 rollout of body cameras, and local media report Castro may lean toward a veto due to fiscal costs and political fallout.