The ”’Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro State”’ ({{langx|pt|Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro}})(PCERJ) is the public security force of the Executive Branch of the State of [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]], which, being responsible for the preservation of public order and the safety of people and property in light of Art. 144 of the Federal Constitution of Brazil, is incumbent upon the exercise of the functions of Investigative Police (or Judicial Police) and the investigation of criminal offenses (except for military ones) within its jurisdictions<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite web |title=Constituição Federal Brasileira de 1988 |trans-title=Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988 |url=https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao.htm |url-status=live |language=pt-BR}}</ref>. Its jurisdiction is the entire State of Rio de Janeiro<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web |title=LEI COMPLEMENTAR Nº 204, DE 30 DE JUNHO DE 2022. |url=http://alerjln1.alerj.rj.gov.br/contlei.nsf/a99e317a9cfec383032568620071f5d2/c2e7393e9b820325032588750064d4ca?OpenDocument |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=alerjln1.alerj.rj.gov.br |language=pt-BR}}</ref>.
The ”’Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro State”’ ({{langx|pt|Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro}})(PCERJ) is the public security force of the Executive Branch of the State of [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]], which, being responsible for the preservation of public order and the safety of people and property in light of Art. 144 of the Federal Constitution of Brazil, is incumbent upon the exercise of the functions of Investigative Police (or Judicial Police) and the investigation of criminal offenses (except for military ones) within its jurisdictions<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite web |title=Constituição Federal Brasileira de 1988 |trans-title=Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988 |url=https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao.htm |url-status=live |language=pt-BR}}</ref>. Its jurisdiction is the entire State of Rio de Janeiro<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite web |title=LEI COMPLEMENTAR Nº 204, DE 30 DE JUNHO DE 2022. |url=http://alerjln1.alerj.rj.gov.br/contlei.nsf/a99e317a9cfec383032568620071f5d2/c2e7393e9b820325032588750064d4ca?OpenDocument |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=alerjln1.alerj.rj.gov.br |language=pt-BR}}</ref>.
Unlike some countries, in Brazil, there are three police forces for each state: the [[Military Police (Brazil)|Military Police]] (Polícia Militar, in brazillian portuguese), responsible for overt street patrolling; the Civil Police (Polícia Civil, in brazillian portuguese), responsible for criminal investigations; and the [[Prison officer|Prison Police]] (Polícia Penal, in brazillian portuguese)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Promulgada emenda constitucional que cria Polícia Penal, para atuar no sistema prisional – Notícias |url=https://www.camara.leg.br/noticias/621785-promulgada-emenda-constitucional-que-cria-policia-penal-para-atuar-no-sistema-prisional/ |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=Portal da Câmara dos Deputados |language=pt-br}}</ref>, responsible for the management and control of prisons and custody facilities. There are no municipal police forces (city police force or district police force). There are Municipal Guards (Guardas Municipais), which are not mandatory for the city, whose role is to support municipal administrative and street order actions, and they are often unarmed<ref>{{Cite web |title=30% das guardas municipais já atuam com armas de fogo, mostra IBGE |url=https://noticias.uol.com.br/cotidiano/ultimas-noticias/2024/10/31/guardas-municipais-armados-brasil-ibge.htm |url-status= |website=UOL Notícias |language=pt-BR}}</ref>. Rio de Janeiro is currently arming its Municipal Guard in 2025<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-02 |title=Rio de Janeiro inaugura sede da Guarda Municipal Armada |url=https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2025-09/rio-de-janeiro-inaugura-sede-da-guarda-municipal-armada |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=Agência Brasil |language=pt-br}}</ref>. State Highway police belong to internal battalions of the Military Police forces<ref>{{Cite web |last=PALAGAR |date=2015-12-07 |title=BPVE – Batalhão de Policiamento em Vias Expressas |url=https://sepm.rj.gov.br/2015/12/bpve-batalhao-de-policiamento-em-vias-expressas/ |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=PMERJ |language=pt-BR}}</ref>. The Military Police forces have no direct subordination with the Armed Forces, but they carry these names due to their internal militarized structure. They are considered reserve and auxiliary forces of the Brazilian Army<ref>{{Cite web |title=DECRETO-LEI Nº 667, DE 2 DE JULHO DE 1969
Unlike some countries, in Brazil, there are three police forces for each state: the [[Military Police (Brazil)|Military Police]] (Polícia Militar, in brazillian portuguese), responsible for overt street patrolling; the Civil Police (Polícia Civil, in brazillian portuguese), responsible for criminal investigations; and the [[Prison officer|Prison Police]] (Polícia Penal, in brazillian portuguese)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Promulgada emenda constitucional que cria Polícia Penal, para atuar no sistema prisional – Notícias |url=https://www.camara.leg.br/noticias/621785-promulgada-emenda-constitucional-que-cria-policia-penal-para-atuar-no-sistema-prisional/ |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=Portal da Câmara dos Deputados |language=pt-br}}</ref>, responsible for the management and control of prisons and custody facilities. There are no municipal police forces (city police force or district police force). There are Municipal Guards (Guardas Municipais), which are not mandatory for the city, whose role is to support municipal administrative and street order actions, and they are often unarmed<ref>{{Cite web |title=30% das guardas municipais já atuam com armas de fogo, mostra IBGE |url=https://noticias.uol.com.br/cotidiano/ultimas-noticias/2024/10/31/guardas-municipais-armados-brasil-ibge.htm |url-status= |website=UOL Notícias |language=pt-BR}}</ref>. Rio de Janeiro is currently arming its Municipal Guard in 2025<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-02 |title=Rio de Janeiro inaugura sede da Guarda Municipal Armada |url=https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2025-09/rio-de-janeiro-inaugura-sede-da-guarda-municipal-armada |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=Agência Brasil |language=pt-br}}</ref>. State Highway police belong to internal battalions of the Military Police forces<ref>{{Cite web |last=PALAGAR |date=2015-12-07 |title=BPVE – Batalhão de Policiamento em Vias Expressas |url=https://sepm.rj.gov.br/2015/12/bpve-batalhao-de-policiamento-em-vias-expressas/ |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=PMERJ |language=pt-BR}}</ref>. The Military Police forces have no direct subordination with the Armed Forces, but they carry these names due to their internal militarized structure. They are considered reserve and auxiliary forces of the Brazilian Army<ref>{{Cite web |title=DECRETO-LEI Nº 667, DE 2 DE JULHO DE 1969
Reorganiza as Polícias Militares e os Corpos de
Bombeiros Militares dos Estados, dos Territórios
e do Distrito Federal, e dá outras providências. |trans-title=DECREE-LAW No. 667, OF JULY 2, 1969
Reorganize the Military Police and Military Firefighters of the States and Territories
and the Federal District of Brazil, and provides other measures. |url=https://www2.camara.leg.br/legin/fed/declei/1960-1969/decreto-lei-667-2-julho-1969-374170-normaatualizada-pe.pdf |language=pt-br}}</ref>
Since January 2019, the PCERJ has been granted the status of a State Secretariat and is directly subordinated to the State Government, Which allows for its own budget, granting the organization greater powers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diário Oficial da IOERJ de 01/01/2019. |trans-title=Official Journal of State Press of Rio de Janeiro, 01/01/2019. |url=http://www.ioerj.com.br/portal/modules/conteudoonline/mostra_edicao.php?session=VVhwWk0wOUZSVFZPTUZWMFRWUmFSbEY1TURCUlZGVXhURlZHUWxGNlZYUlJla2wzVDBSa1JrNVVSVFJOVlZKSFRWUlpNazE2YXpKUFJGa3dUbWM5UFE9PQ== |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=www.ioerj.com.br}}</ref><ref name=”:2″>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-11 |title=Witzel antecipa fim do conselho de transição, e secretarias da PM e da Civil acumulam funções do órgão a partir de segunda |url=https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/noticia/2019/01/11/witzel-extingue-conselho-de-transicao-e-secretarias-da-pm-e-da-policia-civil-comecam-a-funcionar-segunda.ghtml |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=G1 |language=pt-br}}</ref>
Since January 2019, the PCERJ has been granted the status of a State Secretariat and is directly subordinated to the State Government, Which allows for its own budget, granting the organization greater powers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diário Oficial da IOERJ de 01/01/2019. |trans-title=Official Journal of State Press of Rio de Janeiro, 01/01/2019. |url=http://www.ioerj.com.br/portal/modules/conteudoonline/mostra_edicao.php?session=VVhwWk0wOUZSVFZPTUZWMFRWUmFSbEY1TURCUlZGVXhURlZHUWxGNlZYUlJla2wzVDBSa1JrNVVSVFJOVlZKSFRWUlpNazE2YXpKUFJGa3dUbWM5UFE9PQ== |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=www.ioerj.com.br}}</ref><ref name=”:2″>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-11 |title=Witzel antecipa fim do conselho de transição, e secretarias da PM e da Civil acumulam funções do órgão a partir de segunda |url=https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/noticia/2019/01/11/witzel-extingue-conselho-de-transicao-e-secretarias-da-pm-e-da-policia-civil-comecam-a-funcionar-segunda.ghtml |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=G1 |language=pt-br}}</ref>
Police force in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Law enforcement agency
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro State (Portuguese: Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro)(PCERJ) is the public security force of the Executive Branch of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which, being responsible for the preservation of public order and the safety of people and property in light of Art. 144 of the Federal Constitution of Brazil, is incumbent upon the exercise of the functions of Investigative Police (or Judicial Police) and the investigation of criminal offenses (except for military ones) within its jurisdictions[1]. Its jurisdiction is the entire State of Rio de Janeiro[2].
Unlike some countries, in Brazil, there are three police forces for each state: the Military Police (Polícia Militar, in brazillian portuguese), responsible for overt street patrolling; the Civil Police (Polícia Civil, in brazillian portuguese), responsible for criminal investigations; and the Prison Police (Polícia Penal, in brazillian portuguese)[3], responsible for the management and control of prisons and custody facilities. There are no municipal police forces (city police force or district police force). There are Municipal Guards (Guardas Municipais), which are not mandatory for the city, whose role is to support municipal administrative and street order actions, and they are often unarmed[4]. Rio de Janeiro is currently arming its Municipal Guard in 2025[5]. State Highway police belong to internal battalions of the Military Police forces[6]. The Military Police forces have no direct subordination with the Armed Forces, but they carry these names due to their internal militarized structure. They are considered reserve and auxiliary forces of the Brazilian Army[7]
Since January 2019, the PCERJ has been granted the status of a State Secretariat and is directly subordinated to the State Government, Which allows for its own budget, granting the organization greater powers.[8][9]
Formed in 1808, it is subordinated to the state government and directed by a Chief of Police, chosen by the state’s Governor.
The police activity of prevention and repression of the penal infractions is exercised by the Police Stations situated in the police circumscriptions which correspond to the geographic areas of the suburbs of Rio Metropolitan Region or the country municipalities.
Each Police Station is directed by a Police Delegate helped by Adjunctive Police Delegates, chiefs of police groups and police services.
According to their geographic localization in the territory of the State, the Police Stations are subordinate to one of the three great operational departments of the Police: of the Capital (Rio de Janeiro city), of the “Baixada Fluminense” (municipalities which form Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area, except Rio de Janeiro city) and Inland (which contains ten regions).
The criminal investigations developed by the police stations may be supported by the Specialized Police Department, through its specialized organs (divisions) when repressing the homicide crimes of unknown authors, narcotics, robbery, theft and large frauds.
The CORE (Coordenadoria de Recursos Especiais, in Portuguese), formed in 1969, is a police tactical unit within the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro.
It is a special service which use highly trained policemen in dangerous tasks that police have to face daily.
- Police Delegate (Delegado)
- Police Crime Register Agent (Oficial de Cartório Policial)
- Police Inspector (Inspetor de Polícia)
- Police Investigator (Investigador Policial)
- Criminal Expert (Perito Criminal)
The Rio Civil Police appear in the 2011 film Fast Five, the fifth installment in the Fast & Furious series.
- ^ a b c d “Constituição Federal Brasileira de 1988” [Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988] (in Brazilian Portuguese).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) Cite error: The named reference “:0” was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ “LEI COMPLEMENTAR Nº 204, DE 30 DE JUNHO DE 2022”. alerjln1.alerj.rj.gov.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-11-01.
- ^ “Promulgada emenda constitucional que cria Polícia Penal, para atuar no sistema prisional – Notícias”. Portal da Câmara dos Deputados (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-11-01.
- ^ “30% das guardas municipais já atuam com armas de fogo, mostra IBGE”. UOL Notícias (in Brazilian Portuguese).
- ^ “Rio de Janeiro inaugura sede da Guarda Municipal Armada”. Agência Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2025-09-02. Retrieved 2025-11-01.
- ^ PALAGAR (2015-12-07). “BPVE – Batalhão de Policiamento em Vias Expressas”. PMERJ (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-11-01.
- ^ “DECRETO-LEI Nº 667, DE 2 DE JULHO DE 1969 Reorganiza as Polícias Militares e os Corpos de Bombeiros Militares dos Estados, dos Territórios e do Distrito Federal, e dá outras providências” [DECREE-LAW No. 667, OF JULY 2, 1969 Reorganize the Military Police and Military Firefighters of the States and Territories and the Federal District of Brazil, and provides other measures.] (PDF) (in Brazilian Portuguese).
- ^ “Diário Oficial da IOERJ de 01/01/2019” [Official Journal of State Press of Rio de Janeiro, 01/01/2019.]. www.ioerj.com.br. Retrieved 2025-11-01.
- ^ “Witzel antecipa fim do conselho de transição, e secretarias da PM e da Civil acumulam funções do órgão a partir de segunda”. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2025-11-01.
- ^ “Photo report: joint Police/Armed Forces operations in Rio -“. The Firearm Blog. 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ^ “Rio’s Civil Police in Action and Pics -“. The Firearm Blog. 2017-07-05. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
