São Paulo's Public Security Secretariat released 2025 data showing 834 deaths by police, with the fourth quarter recording 276 victims, the highest since 2015. While homicides fell 4% statewide to 2,527, the capital saw a 6% rise to 530 cases. Experts criticize the rising lethality trend under Governor Tarcísio de Freitas's administration.
Data released by the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat (SSP) on January 30, 2026, shows that civil and military police caused 834 deaths in 2025, an increase of 21 from 2024 and the third consecutive rise under Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos). The fourth quarter was the deadliest on record, with 276 total deaths—equivalent to three per day—and 242 by military police on duty, unprecedented since 1996. The SSP states that over three years of the administration, there was a 5% reduction in deaths from confrontations compared to the early years of the previous government.
Nevertheless, high-profile cases involved shootings at unarmed individuals, such as a homeless person in June, a suspect in Paraisópolis in July, and a subdued robber in Moema in December. Police ombudsman Mauro Caseri called the increase 'alarming' and criticized body camera coverage: of 15,000 units, only 7,500 are used per shift, covering 12.5% of the 60,000 daily PMs. 'Lethality is not synonymous with efficiency,' he said.
Researcher Leonardo Silva from the Brazilian Public Security Forum attributes part of it to the governor's early rhetoric, which may have signaled tolerance for excesses. The SSP emphasizes rigorous investigations and punishment of over 1,200 agents since 2023.
In contrast, intentional homicides fell 4% statewide to 2,527, the lowest since 2001, but rose 6% in the capital to 530, concentrated in the south zone like Campo Limpo. Femicides hit a record 270 in the state. Robberies decreased 16.7% (161,300), but thefts rose 3.6% in the city (250,000). An example is the murder of businessman Adalberto Amarílio dos Santos Junior in June, asphyxiated at Interlagos; his widow, Fernanda Dandalo, demands justice: 'My husband paid for an event and was killed inside.'
