The Sou da Paz Institute launched, this Tuesday (9), the Vote for Peace campaign and the electoral agenda “Brazil in Action for Peace – Proposals for Real Public Security”. The objective is to qualify the electoral debate and pressure candidates to present consistent plans, goals and real commitments to reduce violence in the country. The initiative opposes approaches based on improvisation and populism. "The population is tired of catchphrases, improvisation and simplistic promises in the area of public security. What people want is concrete results, protection in everyday life and policies that really work. The electoral period is an important opportunity to raise the quality of this debate", said Carolina Ricardo, executive director of Sou da Paz. Related news: Public safety: only 32% feel safe in the city where they live. Instituto Sou da Paz proposes alternative sentences for microtraffickers. “The public security system is the same as the dictatorship”, says an expert. Although some national indicators have shown improvement, such as the drop in homicides, Sou da Paz highlights that Brazil still faces a reality in which more than 44 thousand people are victims of violent deaths per year. There is also the expansion of organized crime, an increase in fraud and digital extortion, fear of theft, especially of cell phones, and growing violence against girls and women. The agenda of proposals presents actions applicable at the state and federal levels and is organized into five priority axes: protection of girls and women; strengthening the police; combating organized crime; reduction in robberies; and removing illegal weapons from circulation. The proposals highlight the appreciation of security professionals, the strengthening of criminal investigation, the responsible use of technology, integration between institutions and the fight against arms trafficking. Data from the survey “What the Brazilian population thinks about public security”, by Sou da Paz, shows that 94% of the population recognizes some degree of violence in the city where they live, more than half (53%) avoid going out at night and a third (31%) avoid using a cell phone on the street, as a form of self-protection. "Society wants firmness, but it wants firmness that works. There is a majority in favor of intelligent solutions, the use of technology, investigation and professionalization of the police. The challenge now is to transform this social demand into a concrete political commitment", explains Carolina.   The research also shows that, for 82% of people, body cameras are technologies that protect good police officers and produce evidence against criminals; 73% believe that more guns mean more deaths and more violence; and 65% believe that more police officers are not needed, but rather a better and more prepared police force. Still on more effective solutions, Carolina highlighted the need, for example, to broaden the view on organized crime, which is not restricted to drug trafficking. “It is necessary to bring the financial system into the debate, carry out financial investigations and combat money laundering.” Organized crime According to data compiled in the electoral agenda, organized crime generated a turnover of more than 350 billion reais in the last three years, including activities such as the sale of fuel, illegal mining and the smuggling of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. In addition to reaching territories, according to Sou da Paz, organized crime attacks the Democratic Rule of Law by infiltrating public administration and politics, which results in violence and the population's lack of trust in institutions. “This presence is reflected in a 335% increase in cases of political violence in Brazil in the last three years - in the first months of 2022 alone, there were 45 homicides”, says an excerpt from the agenda. One of the actions proposed on the agenda is the strengthening of integration and cooperation between institutions such as the Federal Revenue, Federal Police, Central Bank, Public Ministry and state police, in addition to international cooperation, providing strategies for joint action against money laundering and the various illicit markets. Another measure is the reorganization of police action, prioritizing investigations, investment in intelligence and strengthening expertise, with the aim of stifling organizations in their financial and command bases. For Sou da Paz, territorial incursion operations must be considered exceptional, only if there are real security conditions for the population and police officers.