Three of the four strategic indicators that guide public security policies and are linked to crimes against property, vehicle, street and goods theft decreased again in Niteroi in October, a consistent movement in the second half of the year. Contrary to this scenario, violent homicide rates rose during the month, according to the latest data from the Institute for Public Security (ISP).
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Vehicle theft recorded the largest relative decline. There were seven cases in October 2025, compared to 58 in the same month last year, a decrease of 87.9%. From January to October, the index also improved, going from 255 to 205 cases, a decrease of 19.6%.
With a PhD in Sociology and Law from the Federal University of Fluminense (UFF), criminal procedure professor Ozias López Filho sees performance as directly linked to the reorganization of the police in the city:
– It is the result of public security policy measures, which include Niterói Presente, cameras deployed throughout the city and overt policing, even with characteristics of community policing in some places. Show results. Niterói is one of the islands in the state of Rio due to the integration factors between the police and the city hall.
Street robberies also decreased in October. The number of registrations reached 72 compared to 115 in October 2024, a decrease of 37.4%. But overall, crime is still higher than the period of the previous year, 981 versus 920, an increase of 6.6%, due to the peak recorded in the first half of the year. Since July, the index has shown successive declines.
Goods theft remained stable in the monthly comparison, with three incidents in October this year and four incidents in October last year, and decreased slightly in total: from 16 to 15 cases.
– Goods theft, street robbery, vehicle theft, and all property crimes are on the decline, largely due to this surveillance, the presence of the Niterói and the coordinated presence of the police. But there is still a long way to go before we can be sure that the downward curves will continue, says López Filho.
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In contrast to property crimes, violent homicide rates have risen. Six deaths occurred in October 2025, compared to one death in the same month in 2024. But overall, the index continues to decline by 14.5%. There were 47 incidents this year and 55 incidents in the same period last year.
Representatives of the Niteroi City Council were at the university last Thursday to present the Niteroi Anti-Violence Charter, says anthropologist and retired Prime Minister Colonel Robson Rodrigues, of the Violence Analysis Laboratory in Owerg. He says the model is similar to initiatives implemented in other states, such as Pernambuco, based on integration and continuous monitoring.
– From what we have seen, there is a rational design being built. They monitor indicators, understand the factors that influence crime and try to act in an integrated way. It’s an interesting case to study, Rodriguez said.
He emphasized that Uerj, as an independent institution, will analyze the data and results presented impartially.
– This is not just a typical police procedure. There are preventive measures too. He added that policing and prevention together constitute a very effective strategy, and there are successful experiences in Latin America in this field.
The researcher also said that it would be necessary to observe whether more intense state operations in the metropolitan area could affect the murder rate in the municipality:
– There is an increase in operations in the country. We need to understand to what extent this can explain the differences and whether this would be reflected in Niteroi.
In a statement, the Military Police said that the 12th PPM Division is taking “measures aimed at crime prevention,” based on daily monitoring of crime scenes and directing teams to areas with high infection rates. According to the leadership, the decline in strategic indicators reflects overt policing and integration with other security agencies.
The Civil Police stated that it is carrying out successive “Operation Asaab” operations, aiming to suppress robberies, theft and reception of goods and vehicles, which are crimes that, according to the institution, finance criminal factions. The Foundation also highlighted the use of intelligence information to monitor criminal groups and joint work with the Prime Minister. “Since the beginning of the operation, more than 680 people have been arrested and 500 vehicles have been recovered,” he said in a statement.
The city council said that the positive results reflect planning, permanent investments, and integration with the security forces. He cited the Center for Integrated Public Security (Cip), which operates with more than 600 cameras and 24-hour surveillance gates and has already contributed to the recovery of more than 650 vehicles, and among measures, he highlighted the expansion of vacancies in the Civil Police RAS and investments in personnel and vehicles.
According to the municipality, the Niteroi Anti-Violence Charter, the second session of which is being prepared for 2026, aims to deepen prevention, intelligence and integration strategies between agencies.
From Wednesday to Friday, Niterói will host the 30th Summit of the Mercocidades Network, an international event that will bring together representatives of Latin American municipalities on Caminho Niemeyer to discuss sustainable, peaceful and resilient paths to the urban future. Within the framework of the programme, the Public Security Forum will be held in cross-views before the opening, on Tuesday, with participation open to the public and focusing on good practices and projects related to the theme of the summit. The proposal aims to strengthen links between regional and international experiences in the field of urban security and inclusion.