Brazil's Pronasci threatened by budget cuts

In an emotional speech, National Public Security Secretary Ricardo Balestreri created a stir at the opening of the III Meeting of the Brazilian Public Security Forum, April 1st held in Vitória, Espírito Santo state. He called for Brazilian society and public security organizations to mobilize and pressure President Lula to free the Pronasci (National Public Security and Citizenship Program) Budget. If budget cuts announced by the government go ahead, Brazil’s largest and most daring security plan launched by the Ministry of Justice, could, according to Balestreri, come to a premature end.

On Monday the 30th, the Ministry of Planning and Budget announced a 41% budget cut to the Ministry of Justice, which corresponds to a R$1.2 billion cut in a budget of R$2.96 billion that had been stipulated for this year. The cuts will be prejudicial to the Brazilian government's main programs in  Public Security, and according to a statement released by the MJ, seriously jeopardizes the Pronasci plan whose cost is tantamount to the size of the cuts. Brazil's Minister of Justice, Tarso Genro summoned his top aides and asked them to fight the cuts.

Balestreri fulfilled his mission at the Vitória meeting. He incited the audience made up of close to one thousand people – most of them police officers, firemen, and members of the municipal guards of various states in Brazil – to pressure the government against the proposed cuts. He also called on governors, mayors, senators, congressmen and councilmen to do the same. “Public security cannot be made without the participation of the people. Public security is going to be engulfed by darkness,” said Balestreri.

According to Balestreri, the 2008 launch of the Pronasci was the most powerful light ever shed in the area of public security in Brazi, in his words: “It was not rhetoric, it was an investment.” He added that the National Public Security Office ( Senasp) has itself already invested R$1.42 billion in 2008. The budget allocated to the municipalities in previous years was of R$ 180 million. “Technocrats cannot see the correlation between public security and development. They are mistaken.” At the end of his speech, he was given a standing ovation.

One Real spent in public security equals 20 in savings

In an exclusive interview to Comunidad Segura, Balestreri explained that if the cuts are effected the Ministry of Justice will have to let go of the Pronasci, being able to go ahead only with training fellowships. He added cuts also target the nation's National Public Security Fund, (FNSP) reducing it from R$ 300 million to R$ 140 million for the current year. The FNSP finances security plans in the 27 Brazilian states. Since part of the budget has already been spent, only R$ 80  million would remain. “It is a drop into insignificant levels”, said the secretary.

In his view the cuts “lack intelligence”, every Real invested in public security saves 20 in trying to solve problems afterwards, “as far as saving money, it makes no sense”, Balestreri added.

Present at the second day of the Vitória meeting, Minister Tarso Genro told journalists that he believes he may be able to stop the cuts. “There is always a way out. Technical teams from both the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Planning are talking to each other. We hope that the situation will resolve itself sometime next week,” he said. He then launched into an hour long exposition on the importance of the Pronasci plan.

“Living brain” of public security  

Balestreri's lecture stressed the importance of the annual Forum. “If you allow me the metaphor, I see the Forum as the neurons and sinapses of Brazilian public security. It brings together knowledge gathered by researcher and by practitioners. All that we decide here will have tremendous repercussion. This is the living brain of public security in Brazil,” said Balestreri.

The secretary also pointed out that approximately 60% of the Pronasci budget has been invested in education. According to him, 150 thousand people enrolled in the distance learning program in the first day. “It is the largest distance public security training program in the planet,'” he said.
 
In his view to create human capital is a radical change from the trio guns, ammunition and cars that has proven to have little efficiency. “The theory of equity in arms is a danger. If criminals have tanks, should we attack them with tanks? He asked.
 
Balestreri praised the courses given by the National Public Security Education Network (Renaesp), “threaded with human rights”, and championed the R$400 a month currently awarded to 110 thousand police officers, among them are half the police officers of Rio Grande do Sul, and 22 thousand police officers in Rio.

Balestreri also highlighted the importance of investing in community policing. “The dictatorship had abducted the police from the people, it is time to return it to the nation,” he said. He was also emphatic about the importance of border policing, without which “it is an uphill struggle in urban centers”. 

 
Policy of State not administration

Regina Miki, special advisor of the Ministry of Justice also expressed concerns with the cuts: “We need a policy of state not a policy restricted to this administration,” she said. Miki also noted that the feeling of insecurity is higher than crime rates. “We cannot just lower violence, but we must lower the feeling of insecurity.” Miki asked participants to oppose the cuts.

Translated by Lis Horta Moriconi