Brazil faces major shortfall in police and security personnel

A new study released by the Forum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública (FBSP) reveals that Brazil’s public security forces are operating far below legally mandated staffing levels. The report shows the Military Police (Polícia Militar) have only about 65.7% of the authorized 628,732 positions, with roughly 215,000 vacancies nationwide. The Civil Police (Polícia Civil) are even more understaffed, at 55.2% of the 175,477 legally required posts, leaving a deficit of over 78,000 investigators. Prison police (Polícia Penal) also face a gap, with 68.5% of positions filled as the prison population grew 6.3% between 2023 and 2025. States such as Tocantins, Goiás and Amapá have the lowest occupancy rates for the Military Police, while Ceará, São Paulo and Espírito Santo report the highest. The study criticises the lack of a standardized methodology for determining force size, noting that staffing targets are often set without evidence‑based planning. FBSP director‑president Renato Sérgio de Lima called for a fiscal responsibility law to guide future recruitment and highlighted the urgent need to replenish the ranks to address complex crimes such as electronic fraud and virtual scams.