São Paulo expands police force with 1,014 newly trained soldiers and 2,000 new recruitment slots

On 8 June 2026 the São Paulo state government formally graduated 1,014 new police soldiers at the Arena Pacaembu. The cohort – 877 men and 137 women – will be deployed across the capital and the interior, with 497 assigned to São Paulo city and 517 sent to municipalities such as Rio Preto, Sorocaba, Presidente Prudente, Baixada Santista, Vale do Ribeira, Ribeirão Preto, Bauru, Araçatuba, Marília, Limeira, Taubaté, Araraquara and Franca. In Campinas, 29 of the graduates will reinforce local patrols.

The state also issued a new public notice for the recruitment of 2,000 additional police soldiers. Applications open 15 June and close 21 August, with an initial salary of R$ 5,482.51. Candidates must be 17‑30 years old, meet height and documentation requirements, and pass written, physical, psychological and social‑investigation exams. The contest is part of a broader plan to add 26,000 new security personnel during the current administration.

Officials credit the increased force for recent declines in crime: vehicle thefts fell 34.6 % and overall robberies dropped 17.9 % in the first four months of the year, while homicide numbers reached a historic low. The recruitment drive is presented as a key element of São Paulo’s strategy to strengthen public safety.