Collaboration between private and public security in Brazil

Even today, it is common to think that private and public security are separate and independent segments. But the reality is that these two sectors not only work together frequently but also complement each other in ways that are very beneficial for overall safety.

Public security is the state's commitment to ensuring safety in all spheres of society. This includes highway patrol, urban security, protection of people—where the police, municipal guards, and firefighters operate. Private security, on the other hand, is a service provided by companies that offer personalized protection for the specific needs of their clients. This category includes asset security, surveillance, access control, and more.

Roles of Public and Private Security in Brazil

Public security acts on a broader scale, seeking to ensure the safety of social spaces and common areas such as streets and squares, and occasionally responding to individual calls ranging from theft to public disturbances.

Private security, meanwhile, acts specifically within the scope for which it is contracted. It can be responsible for protecting a residence through alarm systems, monitoring, anti-theft systems, or ensuring that only registered people access a certain area, whether in a residential condominium or a corporate department.

Collaboration between Public and Private Security

Through collaboration between these two arms of security, we can achieve very positive results. One of the practices increasingly present on Brazilian streets is the support offered by private security to public security through monitoring poles spread throughout the streets—a trend driven by technological advancement.

These monitoring poles capture movement and can broadcast it live to designated locations, allowing for much faster response times. The footage can also be provided to the police, making investigations and searches much more precise.

An example of this technology is CoSecurity, a monitoring system installed in the city of São Paulo. According to the Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública, in São Paulo alone, a cellphone is stolen every 1 minute and 42 seconds. These thefts usually occur on public roads when people are walking, waiting for buses, or ride-share vehicles.

Since the implementation of the monitoring service, São Paulo has seen a 57% drop in cellphone theft and robbery cases in the city center. The presence of monitoring poles not only effectively monitors but also increases surveillance presence, serving as an obstacle to the planning and execution of such crimes.

This is just one of the success stories that can arise from the joining of forces between public and private security in the fight against crime, maintaining order, and guaranteeing every citizen’s freedom of movement.