Police use of deadly force in the State of São Paulo

Abstract The police constitute the main mechanism found by the modern state to guarantee the maintenance of law and order, with the prerogative of regulation of social relations through physical force as a legitimate and constitutive act. While the police represent the authority to intervene when necessary, they may violate citizens’ rights when making abusive use of force, especially lethal force. This article presents a descriptive analysis of reports on cases where police used lethal force in the State of São Paulo. The results indicate that, even in the face of a significant reduction in homicides, the use of deadly force by the police increased substantially during the 2000s, disproportionately affecting black people, particularly adolescents and young adults. The research concludes that the police have exceeded the use of deadly force and suggest strengthening the police’s internal control to address the problem.