Democratic governance and public security: the case of police education in Brazil

Abstract

This paper analyzes the experience of governance of the National Secretariat of Public Security (Senasp) to direct, coordinate and evaluate the actions and targets proposed by public policies in the area of security for the increment of a new paradigm – the public safety with citizenship – into the so-called “police education”. To reach this, bibliographical research and field work were accomplished. The literature review included an examination of literature, nationally and internationally, on police professionalism, governance, public policy and democracy. The field work involved primarily an analysis of the official documentation of the National Secretariat of Public Security/Ministry of Justice (Senasp/MJ), especially addressed the area of “police education” produced in the period between 2003 and 2010.