Civil Police (Brazil)

In Brazil, the Civil Police (Portuguese: Polícia Civil) is the name of the investigative state police forces.

The Civil Police are agencies of the public administration of the federative units of Brazil, whose function is, in accordance with article 144 of the Federal Constitution of 1988, the exercise of the public security for the preservation of the public order, of the safety of the people and the patrimony.

Each of the states of Brazil has its own "Civil Police Department", which carries out detective work, forensics and criminal investigation, acting as a state bureau of investigation, while the "Military Police" carries out preventive police duties.

It aims at the exercise of functions of judiciary police and the exercise of activities of administrative and security police, which are indispensable to the preservation of the juridical order, to the (promotion of the) harmonic life of the community, and to guarantee citizens' rights and liberty.

Police helicopter - Rio de Janeiro

Description

A police car - Rio de Janeiro

The Civil Polices of Brazil had origin in the General Intendancy of Police, created in Rio de Janeiro in 1808.

With the transference of the Portuguese Royal Family to Brazil in 1808, the Police started to be regulated, have structure and important social role.

The Police General Intendancy of the Court and the State of Brazil (Intendência Geral de Polícia da Corte e do Estado do Brasil, in Portuguese) was created by charter of D. João VI on May 10 of that year, centralizing the police attributes of competence belonging to several authorities such as Ouvidor Geral, the alcaydes, the quadrilheiros and the road and assaults captains.

The first Police General Superintendent was Councilor Paulo Fernandes Viana who organized the police administration in Rio de Janeiro city as it used to be in Lisbon.

The Police General Intendancy went through the phase of the Brazilian politic emancipation movement which finally culminated on September 7, 1822.

Civil Police had been gradually developing for all country during the governments Imperial and Republican. Today, the constitutional existence of the Civil Police and its attributions elapse of article 144, IV and 144 § 4°, of the Federal Constitution.

Organization

27 Civil Polices in Brazil, one for each State of the federacy exist. They are directed by a Head of Police, chosen amongst the Commission agents of Police of career.

The services of judiciary police are given through the Police stations of Police, agencies that have jurisdiction on small cities or quarters of the great cities.

Basic organic structure

Police Superior Council

A collegiate organ

Cabinet

Direct assistance of the Police Chief

Planning and Police Operations Department

Operational planning

General Office of Police

Fiscalization

Police State Academy

Professional formation

Police Departments

Operational organs

Administration Department

Administrative support

Technical-Scientific Department

Technical-scientific support (in same states, this is a separated organization)

Special investigations

Special Investigations Department, which is the information organ of the states polices, is responsible for the highly complex police investigations; yet as its duty it has the dignitaries safety and the maintenance of the Special Operations Services (CORE, GOE and others) which uses highly trained policemen in dangerous tasks that the Police have to face daily.

Police inquiry

The function of Judiciary Police is exercised through the police inquiry, included in the Brazilian prosecution law in order to investigate the penal infractions and their responsibility. When concluded the inquiry is sent to the criminal judge.

Hierarchic degrees

Mobile Forensic Unit - Rio de Janeiro

Police Authority

Delegated/Commissioner of Police (Delegado/Comissário)

Agents of the Authority

Notary of Police (Escrivão)
Agent, Investigator or Inspector (Agente, Investigador ou Inspetor)

Police Specialists

CSI - Crime Scene Investigator (Perito Criminal)

Note: In several Brazilian states, Police Specialists (Expert Criminal) direct an unattended Police Department, generally called "Scientific Police" or "Technical Police", responsible for criminal expertise at the respective state.