Police Killings in Brazil in 2024 Reveal Stark Racial Disparities and Regional Variations

In 2024, police violence resulted in the deaths of 4,068 people across nine Brazilian states, with a harrowing 86.2% of the victims identified as Black, according to the Rede de Observatórios da Segurança's report "Pele Alvo: crônicas de dor e luta." The data exposes a deep racial disparity, showing that Black individuals face a significantly higher risk of dying at the hands of police compared to white individuals. Notably, young adults aged 18 to 29 represented 57.1% of these fatalities, and troublingly, 297 victims were children and adolescents aged between 12 and 17, with one child under 11 among the deceased.

Bahia stands out as the state with the highest number of police-related deaths, recording 1,556 cases—a figure that underscores regional disparities in police violence. Conversely, Rio de Janeiro reported a 61.2% decline in these deaths from 2019 to 2024. Meanwhile, Ceará experienced the highest number of police intervention deaths since 2019, with 189 mainly Black victims. Despite these figures, transparency remains an issue; 512 cases lacked available information on the race of the victims.

Authorities highlight ongoing efforts to address police violence through training that emphasizes the moderate use of force. The Maranhão security department reported 76 deaths in 2024, and Ceará’s security representatives maintain that fatalities are unintentional and undergo comprehensive investigations. However, persistent transparency issues and the consistent overrepresentation of Black victims in police interventions point to systemic challenges.

This data arrives as Brazil grapples with broader human rights concerns. The government has taken steps such as instituting the National Protection Plan for Human Rights Defenders in 2023, which aims to protect advocates and strengthens cooperation among federal and local agencies with principles including protection of life and repudiation of institutional violence. Nonetheless, the stark statistics on police killings reinforce the urgency of addressing racial disparities in law enforcement and ensuring accountability.