Essay Example: Difference Between Brazilian Police and American Police

Brazilian police are mandated with the role of creating law and order as well as protecting the Brazilian people. Similarly, other police departments in other countries have this purpose at hand. In this essay, I am going to explore the differences between the Brazilian and American police systems. These differences will help improve our knowledge on the different aspects including administration, structure, role, mandates, how they handle criminals, law enforcement, and most importantly the issue of corruption. Globally, the police system makes up a vital component of the society, especially in creating law and order. Sometimes, the police department is associated with violence, discrimination, corruption, and other social vices. To some extent, this suggestion might be real given the fact that quite a considerable portion of the population suggests this. This essay will, therefore, shed light on the police systems, precisely by comparing the federal departments from Brazil and that of United States of America. These are two very different countries, and we, therefore, expect to find some outstanding differences.

First and foremost, I will look into the administration and structure of police departments from the different countries. In Brazil, the police is a state-run sector that performs various functions, and they are divided into different categories. The Brazilian constitution of 1988 provides for public security as a right of every member of the country, and this is the full responsibility of the government. Looking at the structure, the Brazilian police is divided into different branches; Policia Federal, which is also known as PF, Policia Rodoviaria Federal (PRF), Policia Ferroviaria (PFF), Policia Civic (PC), and the Policia Militarese Corpos de Bombers Militares. These are the different departmental branches that make up the Brazilian police. Similarly, the police in the United States of America is made up of various departments. These are; The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The United States of America Marshals Service, The Secret Service, and finally, The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). It is clear that there are distinctively different branches of the police in the two countries. It is so since there are diverse security needs in both countries. The United States of America is a vast country, housing quite a significant population, hence the complicated police system. The Brazilian police, on the other hand, does not have much needs as compared to the US, therefore the limited branches of police.

Further, I will explore the roles of the police from the two countries, and consequently differentiate the different modes of law enforcement. In Brazil, law enforcement is provided through the combination of state and federal bodies. According to the Brazilian constitution of 1988, the mandates of the police in the implementation of law are; prevention, identification, and investigation of crime; fighting of international terrorism and drug trafficking; and provision of immigration and border control services. Also, the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) for Brazil deals with all international police and legal inquiries. INTERPOL Brazil has worked extra hard to ensure that all officers at all immigration points have a direct and easy access to its database. It is also worth noting that in Brazil, it is mandatory for judicial authorities to send all national arrest warrants for all criminals for the immediate publication of a Red Notice. Just like any other police department in the world, the United States of America's police has the responsibility of enforcing a law. As mentioned earlier, United States tends to have more complex and sophisticated security needs. It is evident that thousands of crimes ranging from petty theft to murder happen in the US every single day. In the US, each state has its police forces that have responsibilities such as; enforcing the laws for traffic, conducting patrols, carrying out criminal investigations, and responding to emergency situations. Through the various departments in the US police, a bill is effectively enforced. I acknowledge that there is a massive difference in the enforcement of law between the Brazilian and American police departments. The United States of America has a well-organized police system that caters to the diverse security needs of its people, as compared to that in Brazil.

To analyze the Brazilian police system, it is essential to mark some observations concerning the state's administrative structure in progress. The role of the Brazilian police is to offer backing to jurisdictive establishments, organizational scrutiny obligations, such as explosives trade regulator; automobile listings; and above the issuance of the nation-wide documentation card, and licenses to the drivers. Nevertheless of its roles, the State Police may act within the habitually State authority, in specific, transnational ramification or social rights-related crimes, or to harmonize State-owned Civilian Police Units in inter-state crimes. Several Brazilian embassies in a foreign country have police attaches selected amongst Federal Police Delegates. In the United States of America, the different departments in the federal police system perform their due duties. For instance, The National Security Service (NSA), operates at a global scale to gather vital security information with the aim of detecting possible threats to the United States of America. Secondly, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) mainly operates externally to the United States of America, to carry out intelligence and surveillance. It helps to protect the United States from threats that are foreign-based. Thirdly, we have the Department of Homeland Security that specializes in the interior security affairs in the United States of America. We can, therefore, see that the various departments in the two countries differ, given the fact that there are diverse security needs to be met. In Brazil, the chief security issues to be dealt with are drug and substance abuse and illegal immigration. In the United States of America, however, there are a wide array of security issues such as illegal immigration, threats from terrorists, and other sophisticated crimes. It is, however, worth noting that it is the responsibility of the police to maintain law and order, both in Brazil and in the United States of America. As mentioned previously, United States government tends has more complex and sophisticated security needs. It is evident that thousands of crimes ranging from petty theft to murder happen in the US every single day. In the US, every state has its police forces that have responsibilities such as; enforcing the laws for traffic, conducting perambulations, carrying out criminal investigations, and responding to emergency situations. Through the various departments in the US police, the law is effectively enforced. I acknowledge that there is a massive difference in the enforcement of law between the Brazilian and American police departments.

Over the years, the Brazilian police force has been associated with violence and the use of extrajudicial provisions. In the same sense, the Brazilian police have consistently been accused of turning a blind eye to the rights of the people, following the recent increase in the number of deaths caused by the police force. Based on the findings from Amnesty International, the State of Brazil had not done enough in ending the increasing prevalence of violations of human rights. According to the United National, Brazil recorded the highest number of homicides in the world, with figures escalating up to sixty thousand. Most of the victims allegedly killed by the police are usually young black men. Looking at some of the responses from the Brazilian citizens, the federal police. Mainly the military is typically engaged in an organizational culture that supposedly promotes the use of force. Likewise, the police in Brazil are usually trained in very aggressive tactics. Due to this, there has been a growing hostility between the citizens and the police in Brazil. To prove this, we can explore the increasing numbers of police being killed by the citizens. It is therefore clear that little has been done by the state of Brazil to end the violations of human rights by the Brazilian police force. In the United States, there is a relatively similar situation whereby the police is usually accused of brutality by racial discrimination. Generally speaking, police brutality in the United States of America is attributable to the excessive and often illegal use of force against the citizens. In the United States, police brutality happens in diverse forms, e.g., battery, assault, murder, and even torture. Over the years, American citizens from different social classes, gender, race, and ethnicities are usually subjected to the brutal police force.

Just like any other police force globally, the police forces in Brazil are associated with corruption. In June 2017, the State if Brazil of Rio De Janeiro came to witness a significant operation that was aimed at capturing more than 200 police officers that were accused of criminal conspiracy. In addition to police brutality and violence, the Brazilian citizens have continually lost confidence in the system of law enforcement by the police. Member of the Brazilian state feel like the government shows a blind eye to the corrupt police officer, and that's the reason most crime goes unpunished. Looking at the United States police system, the corruption levels are relatively low, especially compared to that in Brazil. The federal police in the United States of America recorded a low prevalence of corruption in the force, mainly due to allegiance to serving the people. It was, however, essential to realize that there are still very corrupt individuals in the power that help criminals get away with their acts. I appreciate the fact that police brutality, violence, and corruption in the state of Brazil is higher than that in the United States of America.

In conclusion, it is of great significance to acknowledge the differences in the police forces between the state of Brazil and that of the United States of America. This knowledge will help us understand how they handle crime in their states, the system of law enforcement, their strengths, and consequently their weaknesses. Due to the ever increasing incidences of crime in both countries, it is crucial for us to understand the various policing systems as their principal mandate is creating law and order.