Acre is Brazil's Only State Without Municipal Guards, Study Finds
A recent study by the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP) reveals that Acre is the only Brazilian state, alongside the Federal District, that has not established municipal guards. This finding comes from the 2026 edition of the "Raio-X das Forças de Segurança Pública do Brasil" report. While most states and municipalities have increased their municipal guard forces in recent years, Acre remains without any such institution. Nationally, the number of municipal guards grew by 12.9% between 2023 and 2025, reaching 107,457 agents. These forces now constitute 13.1% of Brazil's total public security personnel, making them the second-largest security force, surpassing state Civil Police forces. This expansion coincides with a proposed constitutional amendment in Congress that could broaden the responsibilities of municipal guards, potentially transforming them into municipal police forces. However, the FBSP highlights a lack of consolidated information regarding the structure and operation of these guards, noting they often mimic military police structures without equivalent oversight. The report questions the precise role of municipal policing within the national public security system. In Acre, the study also details the active personnel in state security forces: 2,375 military police, 680 military firefighters, 994 civil police, 78 forensic technicians, and 1,155 penal police. Acre has one of the lowest numbers of active military police officers relative to its legally planned strength, with only 50.2% of positions filled. A similar deficit exists in the Civil Police, with 56.8% of planned positions occupied. The Penal Police force is closer to its legal quota, with 82.3% of positions filled. Despite low absolute numbers, Acre has a higher ratio of police officers per inhabitant than the national average, with 2.7 military police officers per thousand people.
This study highlights a significant disparity in public security infrastructure across Brazil, with Acre's lack of municipal guards standing out. While the national trend shows growth and potential expansion of municipal security forces, Acre's absence suggests unique governance or resource allocation challenges. The FBSP's caution regarding the operational structure and oversight of municipal guards nationwide indicates a broader systemic issue of defining and regulating these forces effectively. The report's focus on personnel numbers versus legal quotas in Acre, while revealing deficits in state-level forces, also points to a potential over-reliance on state police per capita, which may not be a sustainable or efficient model. Future policy discussions should consider whether establishing municipal guards in Acre would enhance local public safety, and how to ensure proper integration and oversight within the national security framework, learning from the challenges faced by other states.
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