Safety, Security, Crime & Emergency Numbers

Brazil’s crime rate is known to be fairly high with a homicide rate of around 25 homicides per 100,000 residents. However, the country faces a bigger problem with this high homicide rate tracing back to the drug trade bringing in organized crime and gangs, although this rate has fallen notable by over ten points since 2000.

In addition to the homicide rate, however, Carjacking and Express kidnappings are common, as are petty crimes such as pickpocketing and bag snatching, especially during market days and the Carnaval season. Worst of all is gang violence and recently gangs have been using children to perpetrate crimes, including murder, due to children having shorter prison sentences.

As far as drug trafficking goes, the most common drugs trafficked are marijuana, cocaine and crack, respectively, and out of 325 youth that were criminalized, around 48.5% of them were involved with drug trafficking in some way. Additionally, out of those caught, around 74% had used marijuana, 36% had snorted cocaine and over 21% had used crack. Most shockingly, out of the caught youth, 51% of the drug traffickers reported it was very easy to obtain a gun and over 58% of them reported it was very easy to obtain cocaine.

Emergency Numbers

Military Police (Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo) – 190
Federal Highway Police – 191
Ambulance/Medical – 192
Fire Department – 193
Federal Police – 194
Civil Police (Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo) – 197
State Highway Police – 198
Sea Rescue – (21) 2104 6119