Brazil reports decline in cell phone thefts and street robberies

Brazil recorded a 9% decrease in cell phone thefts and robberies in 2025, according to the 20th Brazilian Public Security Yearbook. Total incidents fell to 830,890 from 909,753 the previous year. This decline was driven primarily by a significant 18.6% drop in robberies, which fell to 308,723 cases. Conversely, thefts saw a slight increase of 0.9%, reaching 483,561 incidents.

In the state of Rio de Janeiro, preliminary data from the Military Police suggests that street robberies in July may reach their lowest level for that month in 22 years. The report indicates substantial reductions in property crimes, including a more than 20% drop in street and vehicle robberies, and a decrease of over 35% in cargo theft compared to July 2025. These improvements are attributed in part to emergency police actions known as Operation Interception.