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Representatives of 12 South American countries are meeting in Brasília, capital of Brazil, for talks on citizen security. They will exchange information about their experiences in the area.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the secretary of Public Security at the Ministry of Justice, Luiz Fernando Corrêa, reported on Brazilian efforts to get the pubilic involved in preventing crime and improving the police force by, among other things, getting the police closer to the public.
According to Corrêa, it is important to emphasize human rights in police training. "Policemen have to be aware of the social effect of carrying a shotgun around in public," he said.
Luiz Paulo Barreto, the executive secretary at the Ministry, said the point of departure must be public confidence in the police.
"We have surveys showing that in some place in Brazil people are just as suspicious of the police as they are of criminals. That is a worrisome factor," he said.
The meeting, sponsored by the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Relations, ends today. It is preparatory for a ministerial meeting scheduled for Fortaleza on Citizen Security in the South American Community at the end of August.
ABr - www.radiobras.gov.br
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