São Paulo municipalities see contrasting vehicle theft trends in 2026

The city of São Caetano do Sul recorded zero vehicle robberies for the sixth consecutive month in June 2026, marking an 80.95% drop compared with the same period in 2025. In the first half of the year the municipality logged only four vehicle robberies versus 21 the previous year, and vehicle thefts fell to seven incidents in June. Officials attribute the decline to integrated police operations, expanded surveillance with 710 cameras, and the Smart Sanca intelligence center. The city also reported no intentional homicides in 2026, maintaining the lowest violent death rate among Brazilian municipalities with over 100,000 residents.

In contrast, the neighboring city of Ribeirão Pires experienced a rise in vehicle-related crimes. Vehicle thefts increased by 43.5% in the first half of 2026, climbing from 62 to 89 cases, while overall robberies grew 8.9% to 86 incidents. The city’s vehicle robbery count fell by half, but the surge in thefts offset the improvement. Nearby Rio Grande da Serra showed opposite trends, with declines in both robberies and vehicle thefts.

These divergent patterns highlight localized shifts in crime across the São Paulo metropolitan area during 2026.