Brazilian Federal Highway Police
Encyclopedia
The Brazil
ian Federal Highway Police (Polícia Rodoviária Federal or PRF) is a federal law enforcement agency
, subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, whose main function is fighting crime
on Brazilian federal road
s and highway
s, as well as monitoring and supervising vehicular traffic, although it has also taken on duties that go beyond its original authority, such as action within Brazilian cities
and forest
s in conjunction with other public safety
agencies.
It was subordinate to the old National Department of Roadways (Departamento Nacional de Estradas de Rodagem or DNER), now the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Departamento Nacional de Infra-Estrutura de Transportes or DNIT), until the publication of Law 8,028 of 12 April 1990, which redefined the structure of the Brazilian executive branch
.
Its competences are defined by article 144 of the Federal Constitution
and by Law 9,503 (Brazilian Traffic Code), by Decree 1655 of 3 October 1995 and by its internal regulation, approved by Ministerial Decree 1,375 of 2 August 2007.
The title patrolman no longer exists as of 1998. Members of the PRF are divided into four classes: agent, operational agent, special agent, and inspector.
As of 2008, entry into the PRF will require a higher education diploma recognized by the Ministry of Education. This decision has already been published in the Diário Oficial da União.
, under the name Roadway Police (Polícia das Estradas).
It is present in all units of the federation and is managed by the Federal Highway Police Department (DPRF), headquartered in Brasília
. The states are divided into administrative units known as regions. A region can be a "superintendency", in the case of larger states, or a "district" in smaller states. Some regions encompass more than one Brazilian state. Regions are divided into "delegations", which coordinate the patrol posts.
Currently the PRF has over four hundred patrol posts in the most diverse Brazilian municipalities, providing a capillarity to the structure of the agency that few national institutions possess.
Despite the uniformed work, the DPRF is not a military
institution and a rigid hierarchy among the police officers does not exist. The entire hierarchy is based on the functions of supervision, which can be occupied by any police officer
, for example a special agent may be supervisor of an inspector.
The PRF, like other law enforcement agencies, also possesses specialized centers, such as the Special Operations Center (Núcleo de Operações Especiais or NOE), where its members receive regular training in more specialized forms of combat.
theft
.
After reporting a theft, the vehicle's owner, stuck in the bureaucratic system, must wait 24 hours in most cases for the report to be entered into the vehicular theft system. Sometimes this information takes over 24 hours to enter the Integrated Traffic System. Therefore, if the thief were to be stopped before this point, there would be no record of a stolen vehicle and the thief would not be prosecuted.
To eliminate this deficiency, the Federal Highway Police Department created the Alert System, where the owner can report a stolen vehicle via the Internet. The theft victim enters his or her vehicle's license plate number and all PRF patrol posts will be immediately notified.
The system is still not well known, as it has had little coverage by the press
, but it has proved to be an efficient instrument in fighting against vehicular theft, by those who use the Internet. The ability to interact with the PRF becomes instantaneous and free of bureaucracy, therefore optimizing the speed of information during the most critical moments.
As a theft report is linked to a Police Incident Report, the objective of the system is to have a record of the theft information during the most critical first 48 hours to aid in the easier recovery of the stolen vehicle, the system remains active for that license plate for 72 hours, requiring that, after 72 hours, the theft report be acted upon through the vehicular theft system of the traffic system, as the report at a delegation of the Civil Police
has already concluded and will already be entered into the database.
This Alert System was created by PRF members with informatics
degrees, who formed a programs development center to facilitate and improve the interactivity between police officers and vehicle owners.
s and recovery of stolen vehicles.
Through this system, checking the information available on one day and comparing it to what is published on the next day, any user can find out the PRF's actions during the last 24 hours.
Any federal highway police officer has access to an accident reported in this system, even if it was in another region.
This system allows accidents of national relevance to be investigated by the General Command in Brasília in real time. The information is not only instantaneous for commanders, but also for any PRF officer who would like to consult this information. Most importantly it eases the person reporting the accident, who may be involved in public commotion and desires non-bureaucratic information, who can easily obtain this information upon request at a PRF patrol post.
The information in the DPRF's data network not only circulates freely among regions and agents, but are also instantaneous.
Now, not only PRF officers can view and print the BATs, but also vehicle owners, insurance companies, drivers, and victims. Anyone involved in the accident can print the bulletin, free of charge, directly from the DPRF's website:
The Federal Highway Police was a pioneer among Brazilian law enforcement agencies in the use of .40 caliber S&W
.
This important step in the permission of a caliber
with excellent stopping power
came about due to the large amount of PRF officers participating in marksmanship for sport, where the caliber was already used among the most experienced shooters.
The PRF presented sufficient argument to the Brazilian Army
for that caliber to be allowed for PRF use. Formerly using .380 ACP and 38 for revolvers, the Brazilian Army did not offer any resistance to the improvement of the service conditions of that law enforcement class, as 38 caliber and .380 ACP
presented a small stopping power compared to .40 caliber S&W.
As the amount of police personnel on federal highways is small, when PRF officers are involved in armed confrontations they will typically require a caliber that would really make a difference in the confrontation.
What could be considered a privilege, at the time, for federal highway police officers, the only police officers authorized to use .40 caliber S&W, eventually was extended slowly and gradually to other military and civilian police agencies all over the country.
The 38 caliber, lacking in stopping power, was retired by the Federal Highway Police and the .40 S&W arrived on the scene, with a stopping power of 92. This means that for every 100 people hit by this caliber, 92 will become unable to continue fighting with only one shot of the firearm.
regions, emphasis is given to fighting against contraband
and drug trafficking (with the aid of police dog
s); the North Region
is characterized by repression of environmental crimes, such as the extraction and transport of natural resources prohibited by law; and in the Northeast Region
the PRF concentrates on fighting against marijuana trafficking and trafficking of minors.
All over the country, the PRF carries out searches for fugitives and criminals wanted who may be traveling on federal highways, recovery of stolen vehicles, as well as specific operations against the robbery of vehicles with valuable cargo and passenger bus
es.
Following their crime fighting vocation, the PRF now not only restricts itself to crimes on federal highways. Recently a series of operations - some of which were carried out in conjunction with other federal agencies - reinforce the new position of the agency, acting ostensibly as a federal police force: Operação Carta Branca (against fraud in the issuing of licenses), Operação Paracelso (against the fuel mafia), Operação Seringueira, Operação Velozes e Furiosos, etc. Hundreds of search and arrest warrants were carried out all over the country.
(Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência or SAMU) and makes available some vehicles and aircraft to aid accident victims. Police officers trained in emergency services work in collaboration with doctors and nurses.
In other states, the PRF has an agreement with the Corpo de Bombeiros (firefighter
s) and provides aid services in conjunction with them.
The PRF has the exclusive function of applying the Brazilian Traffic Code (Law 9,503 of 1997) on federal highways. Traffic patrol is carried out in a simple and conventional manner by way of infraction notification forms and in more complex ways, using specialized equipment, such as speed radar
, breathalyzer
s, and other measuring equipment such as scales. After the time periods mandated by law, the notifications generate punishments, in most cases in the form of fines.
The main objective of traffic patrol is the prevention of accidents and the preservation of national heritage.
Recently, by the Law 11,705 of 2008, the PRF remains in charge of supervising commercial establishments along rural federal roads with the objective of restricting the sale of alcoholic beverages, in order to reduce the amount of accidents occurring as a result of excessive consumption.
This division has bases in João Pessoa
, Brasília
, São Paulo
, Pernambuco
, Paraná
, and Santa Catarina
. Each base works with a helicopter
, with the Pernambuco base also having an airplane, used for the identification of marijuana plantation
s. Currently the helicopters are used mostly for the aid of accident victims, as some bases have already made agreements with the SAMU.
Every helicopter is staffed by a pilot, an operator and a first responder, all of which are PRF officers. At bases having agreements with the SAMU, the first responder is replaced by a doctor and a nurse.
The DPRF's pilot and operator training course is considered one of the best among Brazilian law enforcement agencies. In addition to technical knowledge, the officers perform exhaustive rescue training in diverse situations, including on the high seas.
The operators receive combat training and licenses to operate XM-15 rifles, used by the division, in order to also act as tactical support for crime fighting operations.
The Federal and State Highway Superintendencies providing information about federal highways and requests for assistance, regarding both crime and traffic accidents, 24 hours a day, are:
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Federal Highway Police (Polícia Rodoviária Federal or PRF) is a federal law enforcement agency
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
, subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, whose main function is fighting crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
on Brazilian federal road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s and highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s, as well as monitoring and supervising vehicular traffic, although it has also taken on duties that go beyond its original authority, such as action within Brazilian cities
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s in conjunction with other public safety
Public Safety
Public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...
agencies.
It was subordinate to the old National Department of Roadways (Departamento Nacional de Estradas de Rodagem or DNER), now the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Departamento Nacional de Infra-Estrutura de Transportes or DNIT), until the publication of Law 8,028 of 12 April 1990, which redefined the structure of the Brazilian executive branch
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
.
Its competences are defined by article 144 of the Federal Constitution
Constitution of Brazil
During its independent political history, Brazil has had seven constitutions. The most recent was ratified on October 5, 1988.-Imperial Constitution :Background...
and by Law 9,503 (Brazilian Traffic Code), by Decree 1655 of 3 October 1995 and by its internal regulation, approved by Ministerial Decree 1,375 of 2 August 2007.
The title patrolman no longer exists as of 1998. Members of the PRF are divided into four classes: agent, operational agent, special agent, and inspector.
As of 2008, entry into the PRF will require a higher education diploma recognized by the Ministry of Education. This decision has already been published in the Diário Oficial da União.
Organization
The Federal Highway Police was created in 1928 during the administration of President Washington Luís Pereira de SousaWashington Luís Pereira de Sousa
Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa was a Brazilian politician. His family was of Portuguese Romani descent. He was born in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, and moved to São Paulo, where he became a lawyer. Elected governor of São Paulo state in 1920 and president of Brazil in 1926, Washington Luís was the...
, under the name Roadway Police (Polícia das Estradas).
It is present in all units of the federation and is managed by the Federal Highway Police Department (DPRF), headquartered in Brasília
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
. The states are divided into administrative units known as regions. A region can be a "superintendency", in the case of larger states, or a "district" in smaller states. Some regions encompass more than one Brazilian state. Regions are divided into "delegations", which coordinate the patrol posts.
Currently the PRF has over four hundred patrol posts in the most diverse Brazilian municipalities, providing a capillarity to the structure of the agency that few national institutions possess.
Despite the uniformed work, the DPRF is not a military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
institution and a rigid hierarchy among the police officers does not exist. The entire hierarchy is based on the functions of supervision, which can be occupied by any police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
, for example a special agent may be supervisor of an inspector.
The PRF, like other law enforcement agencies, also possesses specialized centers, such as the Special Operations Center (Núcleo de Operações Especiais or NOE), where its members receive regular training in more specialized forms of combat.
Activities
Alert System
The PRF has one of the most innovative systems to combat vehicularVehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
.
After reporting a theft, the vehicle's owner, stuck in the bureaucratic system, must wait 24 hours in most cases for the report to be entered into the vehicular theft system. Sometimes this information takes over 24 hours to enter the Integrated Traffic System. Therefore, if the thief were to be stopped before this point, there would be no record of a stolen vehicle and the thief would not be prosecuted.
To eliminate this deficiency, the Federal Highway Police Department created the Alert System, where the owner can report a stolen vehicle via the Internet. The theft victim enters his or her vehicle's license plate number and all PRF patrol posts will be immediately notified.
The system is still not well known, as it has had little coverage by the press
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
, but it has proved to be an efficient instrument in fighting against vehicular theft, by those who use the Internet. The ability to interact with the PRF becomes instantaneous and free of bureaucracy, therefore optimizing the speed of information during the most critical moments.
As a theft report is linked to a Police Incident Report, the objective of the system is to have a record of the theft information during the most critical first 48 hours to aid in the easier recovery of the stolen vehicle, the system remains active for that license plate for 72 hours, requiring that, after 72 hours, the theft report be acted upon through the vehicular theft system of the traffic system, as the report at a delegation of the Civil Police
Civil Police (Brazil)
In Brazil, the Civil Police is the name of the investigative state police forces.The Civil Police are agencies of the public administration of the federative units of Brazil, whose function is, in accordance with article 144 of the Federal Constitution of 1988, the exercise of the public security...
has already concluded and will already be entered into the database.
This Alert System was created by PRF members with informatics
Informatics (academic field)
Informatics is the science of information, the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems. Informatics studies the structure, algorithms, behavior, and interactions of natural and artificial systems that store, process, access and communicate information...
degrees, who formed a programs development center to facilitate and improve the interactivity between police officers and vehicle owners.
Statistics
The Federal Highway Police Department makes available a statistical survey updated daily. The press, as well as the public, can access the registry of apprehension of drugDrug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s and recovery of stolen vehicles.
Through this system, checking the information available on one day and comparing it to what is published on the next day, any user can find out the PRF's actions during the last 24 hours.
Traffic accident bulletin
The traffic accident bulletin, or BAT (boletim de acidente de trânsito) of the DPRF was another interactive innovation implemented through a system known as BrBrasil, where the department makes available accident reports in any state of Brazil.Any federal highway police officer has access to an accident reported in this system, even if it was in another region.
This system allows accidents of national relevance to be investigated by the General Command in Brasília in real time. The information is not only instantaneous for commanders, but also for any PRF officer who would like to consult this information. Most importantly it eases the person reporting the accident, who may be involved in public commotion and desires non-bureaucratic information, who can easily obtain this information upon request at a PRF patrol post.
The information in the DPRF's data network not only circulates freely among regions and agents, but are also instantaneous.
Now, not only PRF officers can view and print the BATs, but also vehicle owners, insurance companies, drivers, and victims. Anyone involved in the accident can print the bulletin, free of charge, directly from the DPRF's website:
Armament
- .40 caliber S&W TaurusTaurus (manufacturer)Forjas Taurus is a manufacturing conglomerate based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Beginning as a tool and die manufacturer, the company now consists of divisions focusing on firearms, metals manufacturing, plastics, body armor, helmets, and civil construction.-History:Taurus produced its first...
PT 100 AF pistol - CT .40 carbine
- 12 caliber semiautomatic shotgun
- Para-Fal 7,62mm rifle
- ColtColt's Manufacturing CompanyColt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
M16M16 rifleThe M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
A-2 5,56mm rifle
The Federal Highway Police was a pioneer among Brazilian law enforcement agencies in the use of .40 caliber S&W
.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
.
This important step in the permission of a caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
with excellent stopping power
Stopping power
Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target, human or animal, sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
came about due to the large amount of PRF officers participating in marksmanship for sport, where the caliber was already used among the most experienced shooters.
The PRF presented sufficient argument to the Brazilian Army
Brazilian Army
The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America and during the 19th century, such as the Brazilian War of Independence , Argentina-Brazil War , War of the Farrapos , Platine War , Uruguayan War ...
for that caliber to be allowed for PRF use. Formerly using .380 ACP and 38 for revolvers, the Brazilian Army did not offer any resistance to the improvement of the service conditions of that law enforcement class, as 38 caliber and .380 ACP
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP pistol cartridge is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case. It was introduced in 1908 by Colt, and has been a popular self-defense cartridge ever since...
presented a small stopping power compared to .40 caliber S&W.
As the amount of police personnel on federal highways is small, when PRF officers are involved in armed confrontations they will typically require a caliber that would really make a difference in the confrontation.
What could be considered a privilege, at the time, for federal highway police officers, the only police officers authorized to use .40 caliber S&W, eventually was extended slowly and gradually to other military and civilian police agencies all over the country.
The 38 caliber, lacking in stopping power, was retired by the Federal Highway Police and the .40 S&W arrived on the scene, with a stopping power of 92. This means that for every 100 people hit by this caliber, 92 will become unable to continue fighting with only one shot of the firearm.
Anti-crime operations
As the road is the main method of transport for merchandise, valuables, and people in Brazil, the PRF specializes in an innumerable amount of anti-crime activities, many times specific to the peculiarities of the region. In borderBorder
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
regions, emphasis is given to fighting against contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
and drug trafficking (with the aid of police dog
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
s); the North Region
North Region, Brazil
The North Region of Brazil is the largest Region of Brazil, corresponding to 45.27% of the national territory. It is the least inhabited of the country, and contributes with a minor percentage in the national GDP and population...
is characterized by repression of environmental crimes, such as the extraction and transport of natural resources prohibited by law; and in the Northeast Region
Northeast Region, Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil is composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18.26% of the Brazilian territory....
the PRF concentrates on fighting against marijuana trafficking and trafficking of minors.
All over the country, the PRF carries out searches for fugitives and criminals wanted who may be traveling on federal highways, recovery of stolen vehicles, as well as specific operations against the robbery of vehicles with valuable cargo and passenger bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es.
Following their crime fighting vocation, the PRF now not only restricts itself to crimes on federal highways. Recently a series of operations - some of which were carried out in conjunction with other federal agencies - reinforce the new position of the agency, acting ostensibly as a federal police force: Operação Carta Branca (against fraud in the issuing of licenses), Operação Paracelso (against the fuel mafia), Operação Seringueira, Operação Velozes e Furiosos, etc. Hundreds of search and arrest warrants were carried out all over the country.
Emergency aid services
The Federal Highway Police possesses, in some states, an agreement with the Mobile Emergency Assistance ServiceSamu
Samu may refer to:* Samu, nickname for a Homo erectus man found in Vértesszőlős, Hungary* SAMU - Service d'Aide Médicale d'Urgence, an emergency medical service in France.* Servicio de Atencion Medica Urgente, also an emergency medical service...
(Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência or SAMU) and makes available some vehicles and aircraft to aid accident victims. Police officers trained in emergency services work in collaboration with doctors and nurses.
In other states, the PRF has an agreement with the Corpo de Bombeiros (firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
s) and provides aid services in conjunction with them.
Traffic patrol
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, breathalyzer
Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
s, and other measuring equipment such as scales. After the time periods mandated by law, the notifications generate punishments, in most cases in the form of fines.
The main objective of traffic patrol is the prevention of accidents and the preservation of national heritage.
Recently, by the Law 11,705 of 2008, the PRF remains in charge of supervising commercial establishments along rural federal roads with the objective of restricting the sale of alcoholic beverages, in order to reduce the amount of accidents occurring as a result of excessive consumption.
Airborne operations
The Federal Highway Police Department has for some time possessed the Airborne Operations Division (Divisão de Operações Aéreas or DOA), responsible for the airborne supervision of highways and aiding accident victims.This division has bases in João Pessoa
João Pessoa
João Pessoa , is the capital city of the state of Paraíba, was founded in 1585 and sometimes called the city where the sun rises first, is a Brazilian city and the easternmost city in the Americas at 34º47'38"W, 7º9'28"S. Local residents call its easternmost point Ponta do Seixas. It is also...
, Brasília
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
, Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
, and Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
. Each base works with a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, with the Pernambuco base also having an airplane, used for the identification of marijuana plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s. Currently the helicopters are used mostly for the aid of accident victims, as some bases have already made agreements with the SAMU.
Every helicopter is staffed by a pilot, an operator and a first responder, all of which are PRF officers. At bases having agreements with the SAMU, the first responder is replaced by a doctor and a nurse.
The DPRF's pilot and operator training course is considered one of the best among Brazilian law enforcement agencies. In addition to technical knowledge, the officers perform exhaustive rescue training in diverse situations, including on the high seas.
The operators receive combat training and licenses to operate XM-15 rifles, used by the division, in order to also act as tactical support for crime fighting operations.
Emergency telephone numbers
Nationwide: 191The Federal and State Highway Superintendencies providing information about federal highways and requests for assistance, regarding both crime and traffic accidents, 24 hours a day, are:
|
|
See also
- Brazilian Federal PoliceBrazilian Federal PoliceThe Polícia Federal is the federal police force of Brazil subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, whose main assignments are the investigations of crimes against the Federal Government or its organs and companies, the combat of international drug trafficking and terrorism, and immigration and...
- Military Police of Brazilian States
- Policing in BrazilPolicing in BrazilIn Brazil, the Federal Constitution establishes five different law enforcement institutions: the Federal Police, the Federal Highway Police, the Federal Railway Police, the State Military Police and Fire Brigade, and the State Civil Police. Of these, the first three are affiliated to federal...
- Civil Police of Brazilian States
- National Force
External links
- Brazilian Highway Police Official Page (Portuguese)
- Brazilian Federal Police Official website (Portuguese)
- Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil (Portuguese)
- Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil (Portuguese)