Starting in March of this year (2023), military policemen (PM) in the state of Rio de Janeiro will use ballistic helmets in operations in favelas. In Brazil, the equipment is part of the Army and Marine Corps uniforms for patrol activities and is also used by special forces from various corporations around the world, such as the US Navy Seals. In the PM of Rio, however, the use of the apparatus for incursions into communities is unprecedented. The first batch of 1,342 helmets, purchased for R$ 4.5 million, arrives in March and will initially be destined for police officers from the Special Operations Battalion (Bope) and the Tactical Action Groups (GATs), small groups specialized in raids of conventional units. The corporation’s goal, however, is that in the coming years, every police officer who works on patrol in the state will have similar equipment safeguarded.
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Lethality Reduction
The acquisition of helmets is a commitment assumed by the corporation in the Police Lethality Reduction Plan sent to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in December 2022, as determined by the Court in ADPF 635, an action that questions Rio’s security policy. Currently, in the PM, only officers from the Shock Battalion wear helmets, but in riot control situations, such as demonstrations. The new model acquired by the corporation, however, is smaller and lighter, suitable for incursions into favelas. The item also has a space where cameras can be attached to its front.
