Photo: Florianopolis City Hall/Disclosure

Walking the streets carelessly, looking at your mobile phone, or slowly, looking at the shop windows and not worrying about holding and keeping an eye on your purse or backpack. Stop for a casual chat with a friend. Park, get out or get into your vehicle without rush or fear. Simple actions seen in the daily lives of the Florianopolis population that demonstrate not only the good safety record the city has achieved, but how this reality is already affecting the life and behavior of the community.

“Today, if you spend five minutes, for example, in front of the Cathedral, which is located right in the center of the capital, you will notice exactly what people are fidgeting with their phones, stopping to talk carelessly. Women wear jewelry and men wear watches. Situations that are not observed in the Center of other Brazilian capitals. These little signs give us confidence that we are on the right track. Today, the main goal of public safety is not only to reduce crime, but also to make it affect people, changing their lives for the better, ”says Florianopolis Minister of Security and Public Order Araujo Gomez.

Today, the mayor’s office has three obligations to citizens, the secretary notes: to protect the vulnerable through strategies that target those more vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, women and the disabled; ensuring the safety of urban spaces through the improvement of the architectural and urban characteristics of the city, the intensive use of technology and the effective and legal application of the law in a transparent and technical manner, which is the responsibility of the municipality.

Data from the State Secretariat of Public Security show that the feeling of security experienced by the population is supported by an effective reduction in the level of crime and violence. The capital of Santa Catarina recorded six homicides in the first four months of 2023, less than half of the cases reported last year in the same period, which totaled 16 cases, according to the agency. To get an idea, there were 20 confirmed murders between January and May 2021 and 37 in 2020.

Robbery reported in the city has also dropped significantly over the past three years. There were 1,186 such crimes in 2020, 1,120 in 2021, and 806 last year. Drug trafficking has also decreased over the same period. From 1139 cases in 2020 to 785 in 2022.

According to the city’s Minister of Public Safety, three other criminal regimes that have also been drastically reduced in the city and directly affect the city’s sense of security: thefts in homes, shops and vehicles.

Work is underway in several areas

Araujo Gomes recalls that this shift began in 2018 with the establishment of control over criminal organizations in dangerous areas of the city. He recalls that it was a work that involved many, with the participation of the civil and military police, the scientific and criminal police, the government ministry and the judiciary, as well as the municipality of Florianopolis and civil society. A good example is the Mãos Dadas project implemented in the north of the island and responsible for pacifying an area that at the time was considered the most violent in Florianopolis and one of the most violent in the state: Vila Unian.

This project has been a combination of a truly integrated effort based on a concept that is new to us: to take back the community, to keep this control indefinitely and to increase its social and urban qualifications in order to break the circle of crime in these places, all with the presence of the state and the military police. as an ally of society.

“In the same sense, the initiatives implemented in the Monte Cristo area were also important. Two locations in which there was intense activity of criminal organizations, constant shootings and a significant part of the murders of the city, ”he emphasizes.

Since crime-related violence was brought under control, other measures have contributed to reducing the level of violence in the city. A very important step in this direction has been the close integration of the police with the municipality, including public order activities aimed at reducing many of the factors that encourage or facilitate crime: vandalism, graffiti, illegal occupation of public spaces and illegal buildings, among others. .

In addition, according to the Secretary of State, strengthening the presence of state power in areas of increased social vulnerability with better schools and kindergartens, such as Escolas do Futuro, in addition to projects that offer after-hours activities, such as Educador. neighborhoods played a key role in this change. The construction and revitalization of squares and public spaces and the strengthening of ties to the city have also contributed to the current scenario, the mayor’s office says.

The third factor that stands out among the actions carried out by the municipal administration is the strong actions of the city’s intelligence-based security forces, including the police, the public ministry, and the mayor’s office itself. “Intelligence-driven joint action provides strong control over criminal activity, and in this sense, the forces involved should be congratulated. Today, operations are carried out almost preventively, through full investigation and investigation, giving priority to the groups that pose the greatest danger to the city,” explains the Minister of Security and Public Order.

City guard activities

Strengthening the role of the Municipal Guard in inspections was another action that had a positive impact on the performance of the municipality, helping to prevent minor disturbances and crimes that usually lead to an increase in crime, such as urban degradation, control of street vendors. , irregular garbage collection, loud music, prohibited parking and graffiti.

To consolidate the crime reduction and sense of security in Florianopolis, the Florianopolis Municipality is investing in many projects such as the Projeto Sentinela, which involves the installation of 2,000 cameras at 500 observation points in the municipality. “Through this initiative, we will have even greater control over public spaces and the movement of people and vehicles in the city,” concludes Mayor Topazio Neto.

It’s not enough for Mayor Topazio Neto to keep crime or violence low. We need to go further. “Safety needs to be a factor in prosperity and quality of life, helping to attract and retain the talent and investment that makes the city even better to live in.”