Thursday, March 24, 2011

Brazilian Police Do Not Eat Donuts


There's one core difference between Brazil and the US, and that is the police.

The first time a friend came to visit me, I informed her that if there was trouble to go AWAY from the police. Don't go towards them or you might as well just throw yourself right in the middle of the battle.

It was a weird concept for me to get when I first arrived. Police aren't necessarily good. They aren't necessarily bad either. But let's be honest, when there's a gray area concerning people with large semi-automatic weapons, it's just best to avoid them.

And when you are confronted with them, take it seriously. Two friends of mine were arrested at a Festival where the military police were providing security. That right there is not a good thing. The military police lack the humor required when dealing with drunk music fans watching their favorite bands.

Anyway, one police officer informed my friend that he could take a leak over in the woods. A second officer approached him after he had and arrested him.  Talk about a lack of communication.

My Brother-in- law had been waiting for our friend and loyally followed him and the police officer back to the police tent at the entrance of the festival.  My sweet Brother-in-law inquired after our friend, who was in the tent, and tried to explain the situation to an officer standing outside. What was the response he got?

"If you are so curious about your friend, why don't you just go in and check!" With that my Brother-in-law was taken in and arrested as well.

When we got the text message saying they were arrested, I automatically thought it was hysterical! I was all excited about seeing a Brazilian police station for the first time and take some pictures of our friends in their moment of shame.

Mr. Rant immediately told me NO! He told me not to say a word, to definitely not take any pictures, and if that was too difficult I needed to wait outside.  This was not the US.  It fully hit me when we went into the station and found them with their hand bound behind their backs and every single belonging that was on them spread out neatly on a desk. They had even removed their shoelaces.

Of course they were released that night but were put on probation for a year. And for what? A miscommunication and urination?! That in and of itself was proof enough that these guys are not ones to even talk to unless absolutely necessary.  This goes double for the Military Police. They are a special breed of hardasses.

Don't get me wrong, talking to a cop isn't going to get you arrested. And if there has been a crime against you, they will do their job and help out the best they can.  I have seen that as well.

It has to do with general safety. I'm sure even a crooked cop would give correct directions if asked, but do I want to be getting information when there is a random cop drive by? Nope.

While uncommon, I still prefer the avoidance technique.  And you know what, I recommend you do as well. Cops here are actually engaged in a real power struggle. They aren't running around giving tickets to j-walkers or asking kids why they aren't at school.  So leave them alone and let them do their job.

And for all you tourists who think that it'd be cool to report your belongings stolen to Brazilian officers and get money from your travel insurance, think again. Many have tried and many have been arrested. Is that how you want to spend the end of your vacation?  Is $1000 worth potentially getting stuck in a concrete cell with cockroaches and urine?  I don't think so.

The cops here do not like to be made fools of. Let's all keep that in mind. 

18 comments:

  1. Rach your memory sucks! hahahaha That was not why it happened at all.

    First we were in a music festival in the VIP area, but the bathroom was in the normal area, so our friends went to the bathroom, on the way back, they didnt want to walk all the way to the VIP entrance area, so they asked the organization if they could just pass under the rope that made the division of two areas...
    The organization said yes and so they went.

    The cops told them to come back and started a discussion, on which one of our friend was arrested for verbally abusing the cop. Then my brother went for moral suport, but the only way to do so was being arrested as well.

    The were hit in the head but were not tied up behind their backs.

    And we were able to make it to the next concert...

    Its also known that cops in Curitiba are more hard core then in Rio, maybe not more hardcore, but less patient with the general public...

    There, i know you love when I correct your stories...

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  2. I am super afraid of cops in Brazil.

    I studied criminology my first year in college, most people on their way to becoming cops. While, I saw many Americans going from the Battle field in Iraq to Cop life, many hicks with closed minds and some people wanting to have the power/action/ adventure life in the movies-- I can stand being in a room with a cop. Stand it. Not like it. Well and sometimes liking it, there are good cops too.

    But most cops in Brazil give off a vibe that is not be questioned, hyper masculinity that could probably give anyone chills. I asked a cop at the rodeo why he was so serious (among other things). He said that in Brazil most situations are life threatening and working at a public event is not too common. He can't get out of the mode.

    But is that something that happens in uniform and/or out of uniform. Regardless, a lot of problems here come from lack of pay. Cops are not rewarded for being "good cops" either. They personally suffer for being a "good cop".

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  3. I despise Brazilian cops, all of them! And piggybacking, I despise American cops too. lol I wouldn't know the difference as I've never had any kind of interaction with an American cop, not even to ask for directions. I let them do their jobs and ask passers-by for info if I need it. But Brazilians cops are a special breed of stupidity and assholeness. Certainly I shouldn't generalize, but that's my experience. I'll also add that they don't give a rat's ass to your stolen/lost stuff and even if they do eventually in the very improbable event that they'll look for whomever took your belongings they'll most likely keep them. So, why waste your time seeking help from them? Well, because whether they like it or not that's their job and if everybody just chooses to ignore it, as we already do, it's only gonna get worse and never change. We turn a blind eye towards police corruption just like we do towards politics. Sucks but it's what it's.
    Now, the situation your friend's described in the comments, verbal abuse (they are about it, can't even "but" them), seems more likely to get you arrested in Brazil than peeing in a public space.

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  4. Mr. Well, I could hardly speak a word in Portuguese at that point in my life so I think I did a pretty damn good job understanding! ;p Although I do stick by the fact that their hands were tied behind their backs with those white pully things.

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  5. Actually, my friend DJ is the infamous Mr. Rant.

    And I do agree with Nina about those who become cops. It's kind of like you need a certain part to your personality. Like pilots are usually people who enjoy a good thrill.

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  6. Well, the good PM cops in Brazil are pretty good about helping the general public when help is needed. The bad PM cops are another story.

    I'm sure you have heard about the incident a few years ago about the American cops in Rio who were robbed by Brazilian PM cops. Well, those were friends of mine and boy, what a night that was!

    One of my best friends (over 20 years) is a parole agent for California. A few years ago, he came out here with several co-workers for a nice vacation. On one of the last nights of their trip, three of the friends were sitting in a bar off to the side of HELP (no, they were not trolling).

    Two putas came up to them trying to solicit business for the evening. They refused and said that they were done for the evening and going home. The putas continued to force the issue and the friends got up and picked up a taxi in front of HELP (bad rookie move for you old timers) to go home.

    The putas were part of a shake-down operation with their PM boyfriends to get money from gringos. They immediately called their PM boyfriends, who were working a "checkpoint" near the club, and told them the taxi's licence number.

    The friend's taxi was stopped at the checkpoint and the PMs immediately told the friends to get out of the taxi. The next thing they knew, they were arrested (no reason given) and put in the back of a police car.

    The police entered the vehicle and one of the cops pulled his side arm, cocked it and put it against the skull of one of the friends. The PM then asked where they were staying and how much money was in the apartment. The friends gave the information and the PMs proceeded to the apartment.

    When they arrived, they instructed one of the friends to go into the apartment and bring all of the money and IPods to him. The friend complied and everyone was let go.

    I got a frantic call from my friend that night stating the specifics of the incident. In turn, my wife called her brothers who have friends in the Policia Civil and Policia Federal. We ended up getting the PC to go to the friends apartment and take a report. My wife and I headed to the apartment to see our friend.

    When we got there, the PC advised us that we should move our friend to another locations since the corrupt PM tend to eliminate "problems". We immediately called my other brothers in law and moved our friends across town to another apartment that night. Pretty amazing having a fully armed police escort driving through the streets of Rio.

    Anyway, the friends ended up ok. Some have come back - others will never set foot in Brazil again. One good thing out of the incident, I now have a good friend who is the Delegado for the Policia Civil in Rio who has a lot of friends in the Policia Federal. Definitely a good "don't screw with me" contact.

    I have heard that Brazil is currently getting rid of the corruption of the PM in Rio. I hope this is true.

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  7. Well, the good PM cops in Brazil are pretty good about helping the general public when help is needed. The bad PM cops are another story.

    I'm sure you have heard about the incident a few years ago about the American cops in Rio who were robbed by Brazilian PM cops. Well, those were friends of mine and boy, what a night that was!

    One of my best friends (over 20 years) is a parole agent for California. A few years ago, he came out here with several co-workers for a nice vacation. On one of the last nights of their trip, three of the friends were sitting in a bar off to the side of HELP (no, they were not trolling).

    Two putas came up to them trying to solicit business for the evening. They refused and said that they were done for the evening and going home. The putas continued to force the issue and the friends got up and picked up a taxi in front of HELP (bad rookie move for you old timers) to go home.

    The putas were part of a shake-down operation with their PM boyfriends to get money from gringos. They immediately called their PM boyfriends, who were working a "checkpoint" near the club, and told them the taxi's licence number.

    The friend's taxi was stopped at the checkpoint and the PMs immediately told the friends to get out of the taxi. The next thing they knew, they were arrested (no reason given) and put in the back of a police car.

    The police entered the vehicle and one of the cops pulled his side arm, cocked it and put it against the skull of one of the friends. The PM then asked where they were staying and how much money was in the apartment. The friends gave the information and the PMs proceeded to the apartment.

    When they arrived, they instructed one of the friends to go into the apartment and bring all of the money and IPods to him. The friend complied and everyone was let go.

    I got a frantic call from my friend that night stating the specifics of the incident. In turn, my wife called her brothers who have friends in the Policia Civil and Policia Federal. We ended up getting the PC to go to the friends apartment and take a report. My wife and I headed to the apartment to see our friend.

    When we got there, the PC advised us that we should move our friend to another locations since the corrupt PM tend to eliminate "problems". We immediately called my other brothers in law and moved our friends across town to another apartment that night. Pretty amazing having a fully armed police escort driving through the streets of Rio.

    Anyway, the friends ended up ok. Some have come back - others will never set foot in Brazil again. One good thing out of the incident, I now have a good friend who is the Delegado for the Policia Civil in Rio who has a lot of friends in the Policia Federal. Definitely a good "don't screw with me" contact.

    I have heard that Brazil is currently getting rid of the corruption of the PM in Rio. I hope this is true.

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  8. Greg,

    This story is insane!!! You should write a freaking book and even try to make a movie out of it, it sounds really similar to stuff we saw at Tropa de Elite.
    I am from Sao Paulo, went to Law school and because I went to Law School I naturally have many dear and close friends who are Police Chiefs, both military and civil police, Judges in all levels, from the Supreme Court of the State of Sao Paulo to the lower courts, I have neighbors that I grew up with and are still close friends with that are in Congress, City Council, I also have a sister in Law who is a Police Chief in Sao Paulo and a cousin married to a major of a large city in the Sao Paulo metro area. All this just to assure you, Sao Paulo is very different. I know for a fact, if a group of thugs did what these policemen did to your friend in Rio, they would be arrested and prosecuted in a New York minute.
    I am not there is no corruption in Sao Paulo, off course there is, but it is a minority, it is rare and they usually get caught.
    To back up what I am saying, I am here, IN PUBLIC, ON RACHEL'S BLOG, making an offer to anyone reading this post ever has any trouble with the Police in Sao Paulo, feel free to contact me personally, you can reach me thru my blog, I check it daily, and I will be sure to help out the best way I can with my contacts.
    Greg, you are correct, Brazil has been fighting corruption seriously since Fernando Henrique was elected president and there has been real reduction in all forms of corruption, principally in Rio and other places like Sao Paulo as well.
    However, with the recent Goldman's case fiasco, I learned about Rio's powerful games of favors and corruption played by the "boys" club with the powerful lawyers and judges breaking the law and defying the higher courts and doing anything they dam well please, that is a very "Rio" that might be hard to break, the rich and powerful helping each other at all costs, so Rio has a long way to go with their state courts and the rich and powerful playing by different rules than most of us.


    Ray

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  9. Rachel,

    The funniest thing about DJ "correcting" you is that I was arrested in a small town in Oklahoma ( Back in 1989, when I was 17 years old ) for an almost exact same reason as your brother in law. I also went in for "moral" support of my best friend, the cops had thrown him against a brick wall and had opened his chin up and it he was bleeding, it was a mess. So, I was furious and was basically arrested because I wouldn't shut up, the cop told me to shut the hell up and I told him " I thought this country was all about FREEDOM OF SPEECH"...needless to say, I had my lips glued to the Crown Victoria's hood before I could finish pronouncing the word "Speech" :) , they removed my shoes so I couldn't run, I had socks on at the prison and the floors were waxed and very slippery.
    I was arrested in a dark cell for exactly 20 minutes, it felt like an eternity, my grandmother arrived shortly after and took me out of there.
    By the way, Rhode Island police is known to be the most brutal in the US, Florida is supposed to have the most corrupted cops in the country, I had the unfortunate experience to be stopped and threatened by cops in Florida twice, both times while driving thru small towns and falling for their infamous small town speed traps, once driving 45 miles per hour and once driving 35 miles per hour. I have been a driver for 22 years now and never got any speeding tickets anywhere anytime, only those two times in Florida with those freaks behind the small town speed traps...
    Please don't get me wrong, the US police force is light years ahead of Brazil, Brazil has come a long way in the last 15 years but still has a long way to go.
    However the US still has it's bad apples and they are not hard to find, let's not forget the dirty cops from Lousiana's Katrina era who killed and robbed properties, the dirty Los Angeles cops who beat up Rodney King on camera, the New York cops who sodomized black men with a broom in 1997 and a different man with a screw driver in 2007...awful horrible cases that thankfully were brought to justice, prosecuted and arrested for the most part.
    Honestly, I think we need to be "careful" with cops anywhere, at least I am.

    Ray

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  10. Yes the police are definitely different and Rio police have the worst reputation. Last October I had too "Toto, I don't think we're in Rio anymore" moments. The first was driving in Recreio past the Outback and car dealships and thinking this could be anytown USA. The other was sitting in my car at a stoplight and having the cop in the patrol car next to us wave and genuinely smile at me and my son. Guess which one freaked me out more? We used to get stopped a lot when we lived in Rio leaving Rocinha to go to Barra, trying to shake us down. My husband is pretty good at dealing with cops and we could always convince them we were in Rocinha visiting family (the truth) and not buying drugs, but it never ceased to freak me out.

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  11. Knock wood - We have never had a problem with the cops here - Knock wood.

    I agree with Nina - being a law enforcement officer remains a low-skilled, low-pay job. Being an honest professional has little reward other than personal integrity.

    We have a friend who is an honest cop and he reports ongoing pressure and ostracism from his colleagues for not participating in financial scams while at work. He fears his safety from those who work around him.

    Fix the salary and training thing and you will fix the corruption thing.

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  12. I totally agree Jim! How can a cop be honest if they don't make anything and must live in the favelas where they are supposed to be arresting people.

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  13. But, in the US (save for a few bad apples here and there) my interactions with cops has been overwhelmingly positive. In NYC their presence is pretty standard on the street so they are a great resource if you are a little lost. Even in Florida (I live in Miami), the cops are very nice. I've been let out of tickets and assisted when my neighbor freaked out and attacked me. I even once had a police officer stop to help me when I was on the side of the road. He thought my car was disabled but he laughed really hard when I told him that actually, a huge spider crawled across my windshield (inside) and I couldn't go back in the car. He promptly smashed it and told me it was safe to be on my way. Now, I realize that many people don't have such good interactions with police officers, so I'll tack part of my good fortune up to being my personal privilege. Being female and white allows people to view you as non-threatening.

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  14. Somehow the first part of my comment got deleted. I'm too lazy to retype, but I'll just say my Brazilian husband was emphatic about not interacting with cops at all when we were there. Not even if you are robbed or stabbed. He even pointed out, that it was better not to make eye contact. I don't know if he was being a overly cautious but I respected his guidance and didn't interact with them at all. Besides, how do you have pleasant interactions with someone who is holding a machine gun?

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  15. Before we scare every one -- there ARE tourist police in tourist areas. If you are unlucky enough to have your camera stolen - speak with a tourist police.

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  16. You say "They aren't running around giving tickets to j-walkers or asking kids why they aren't at school." But they are arresting people who urinate in public whom they've even set up. You don't sound logical

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  17. Sorry I don't sound logical but the Brazilian police aren't quite at that level. Secondly, I mentioned that the military police were doing security for a festival and that it was a bad idea. I thought that covered the idea that they shouldn't be dealing with people having fun but with drama.

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