Democratic policing in Brazil: theoretical framework and empirical disappointments. A study of Distrito Federal police

Abstract

This article presents theoretical research about democratic policing, highlighting aspects of responsiveness and accountability in police work. It seeks to demonstrate that the difficulties of democratic policing in Brazil stems from obstacles created by the institutional, organizational and cultural configurations of the police system, in addition to the process of democratization. Based on the case study of the civil and military police of the capital’s region – Distrito Federal –, it discusses the difficulty to train democratic police in Brazil, due to the internal contradictions of its own constitutive units. It concludes with reflections about police reforms not only to
strengthen its effectiveness in crime control, but especially to integrate the police in a democratic context.