The governor of São Paulo, Tárcicio de Freitas (Republicans), chose Osvaldo Nico Gonçalves to replace Guilherme Dirit in the SSP (Secretariat of Public Security). He was the current Executive Secretary of the Department and was actually replacing him in the absence of the incumbent.
Nico, as he is known, was competing for the state’s top security post with the secretary of the prison department, Marcelo Streifinger, a military police officer. Nico is a professional delegate of the Civil Police, and during the Tarcisio government, he was the coordinator of the task force that investigated the murder of Vinicius Gretzbach, who was shot dead at São Paulo International Airport, in Guarulhos.
According to the statement issued by the state government, he will be responsible for “continuing policies to combat organized crime and strengthening the police forces.” Derrett will leave the ministry next week to resume his term as federal MP and focus on the Senate primary campaign.
“It is important to maintain what we are doing with low crime indicators,” Nico said. “And to continue working on combating crimes that we can still improve (such as femicide and rape).” BoundAfter confirming your name for the position.
In recent months, with Derrett’s departure considered certain, Nico began campaigning publicly for the position behind the scenes in state government. He approached Tarcísio to be available for the position, arguing that the Civil Police should be included as head of the secretariat in the last year of his term.
In his conversations with reporters, he began to joke that this would be the best option for the press. Niko is usually attentive when dealing with journalists and has given many interviews.
“It worked,” Nico told the reporter.
Niko graduated in law in 1989 and entered the police profession as a police investigator. From 1979 to 1992, he worked as an investigator in civilian police departments such as Decap, DHPP, Deic and Garra (Armed Group for the Suppression of Robbery and Assault).
According to the state government, in 1992 he established the first Special Operations Group (GOE) of the civilian police, of which he was its first delegate. For 12 years, he was supervisor of the Special Rescue Group (GER) in Jara.
In April 2022, during the administration of João Doria (formerly PSDB) he was appointed Commissioner General of Police, the highest position in the state’s civil police.
Nico gained national fame in April 2005, after Argentine defender Desabato was arrested during a match between São Paulo and Quilmes for the Libertadores at the Morumbi Stadium.
The representative was on the field when Sao Paulo player Gravity was sent off the field, after hearing the Argentine’s insults and reacting with a slap. Nico went down to the changing rooms to talk to the player and heard that DiSabato had racially insulted him.
Shortly after the match, DiSabato received an arrest warrant from Nico himself. Before that, he had already participated in the arrest of Chilean Mauricio Hernandez Norambuena, one of the kidnappers of journalist Washington Oliveto in 2001.
He was also involved in the arrest of journalist Pimenta Neves in 2011, and doctor Roger Abdel Masih in 2014. He also owns bars, snack bars and restaurants bearing his name in the Ipiranga neighborhood in southern São Paulo.