Tracking guns routes to reduce violence

It is generally agreed that Brazil’s Gun Law, known as the Disarmament Statute, passed December 2003, and the voluntary gun turn-in campaign held the following year have significantly reduced the country’s alarming gun-related homicide rate. There was a 12% drop in absolute numbers between 2004 and 2006 according to Ministry of Health data.

While figures show that “less guns = less deaths”, House Representative Raul Jungmann, President of the House Commission on Public Safety and Organized Crime (Comissão de Segurança Pública e Combate ao Crime Organizado) is doing his share to ensure the Statute is preserved in its essence.

Jungmann’s leadership was instrumental at appoving Provisional Measure 417 (Medida Provisória) in the lower House, a measure that reenacts the gun turn-in campaign and extends firearm registration period to December 31, 2008. Unregistered gun owners will also be allowed to obtain permits for a low fee (R$30, or approximately US$17) without undergoing psychological or gun-handling tests. It now awaits approval at the Senate.

According to the Brazilian Federal Police, there are currently 14 million illegal firearms in circulation throughout the country, still according to federal police data 27,000 guns were stolen from households and ended up in the hands of criminals in 2003 alone. The MP is expected to assist public safety forces and legalize part of the stockpile. The Public Safety Commission is also debating a voluntary gun turn-in campaign to keeping guns out of criminal hands.

As current head of the Federal House Safety Commission, Mr. Jungmann was also vice chairman of the Parliamentary Hearing Commission into gun trafficking, (CPI ) that submitted its final report on gun routes from factory to final destiny in criminal hands. Furthermore, Mr. Jungmann also served as Secretary-General of the “Brazil Without Guns” Congressional Front (Frente Parlamentar Brasil Sem Armas). Mr. Jungman spoke to Comunidade Segura about public safety, disarmament and the important work being done at the congressional level to reduce armed violence.

When assigned to the Safety Commission, you stated among your priorities were proposals to change the Brazilian Penal Code and public safety. What is the current status of these projects?

Congress hasn’t finished examining the penal proposals because the MPs (Provisional Measures) have temporarily suspended voting sessions. On Thursday (04/16/08), a proposal to end the suspensions was approved. Hence, we now have more room to deal with important key issues in Brazilian society.

What are the main points under discussion?

One of the main projects is to abolish limits to public safety budget allocations. Another addresses the duration of legal actions we need to come up with ways to speed legal procedures up, while of course guaranteeing everyone’s right to defense.

Anything else?

Another project up for debate is the definition of crimes committed by people who bring communication devices such as cell phones, radios and pagers, into prisons. This type of crime has already been defined for inmates, but not for third parties who aren’t public servants but nevertheless supply convicts with these devices. The devices strengthen organized crimes because drug lords can then pass on orders to the outside world. The results: shootings, robberies, kidnappings, etc., all over Brazil. We need to take strong measures to crack down on this communication network.

On March 4, 2008, the Safety Commission met with the Human Rights and Public Welfare Commission to discuss issues brought up in the film "Juízo". How does the Safety Commission intend to deal with young offenders?

The film shows the reality of juvenile delinquents in Brazil. Regarding this issue, we plan on working alongside the Human Rights Commission. But first, we want to join forces with civilian society and examine the problem from all angles. Afterwards, we’ll propose alternative public policy and new re-socialization programs for our youth.

You were Secretary-General of the “Brazil Without Guns” Parliamentary Front (Frente Parlamentar Brasil sem Armas) during the arms referendum in 2005. What was the relationship with civilian society?

The Front’s relations with civilian society have always been excellent. Although the referendum was aimed at banning gun sales, its main merit was generating discussion and debate on an issue that brought together civilian society in general as well as numerous civilian society organizations. Organizations such as Sou da Paz, Viva Rio and others from every state in Brazil became the springboard for public debate.

Moreover, civilian society was truly instrumental in passing the Disarmament Statute. Of course lobbyists have, from time to time, tried to distort the Statute. I believe that civil society participation and a follow-up of our work in Congress is not merely important: I believe it is crucial.

You also headed the Hearing Commission into Gun Trafficking on the origins and destination of guns manufactured and sold legally in Brazil. What would you highlight from the Commission report?

The investigation stressed that information is essential and that without reliable and updated data on guns, it is impossible to deal with arms diversion. By using the Hearing Commission’s investigation powers, we were able to mobilize the Brazilian Federal Police, the DFPC (Registered Products Inspection Agency) and several state-level public safety officers, we also obtained the cooperation of gun manufacturers. This proves that it is possible to track large numbers of illegal guns. That is something that had never been done before in Brazil.

How can this kind of research help government and civilian society fight armed violence?

I believe we played our part: our research, reports, investigations, analysis, etc., defined the problems and offered proposals. From this point on, other government powers must also be actively involved to approve policies. And these policies will be subject to public scrutiny and debate.

How important is gun control for efficient public safety actions?

Many guns used by criminals, not just by organized crime, were bought legally and eventually stolen and diverted for criminal use. Our current legislation also allows policemen to purchase a number of guns per year from manufacturers. Unfortunately, there are bad policemen out there who sell those guns illegally. We also discovered taht organized crime smuggles Brazilian guns, bought abroad, across national borders, back into Brazil. High export taxes would be one way to discourage such purchases.
Facts such as these show how important gun tracking and control are. We have to understand that tracking is the sure way to disrupt crimes and reduce violence. Once we can track the gun routes, it’ll be possible to take effective measures to reduce the number of illegal guns and consequently reduce violence.

There is a Congressional Bill underway on the reenactment of the gun turn-in campaign. Which model do you think is most appropriate?

MP 417 (Provisional Measure) aims at reopening the gun turn-in campaigns which are extremely important. However, the Bill ended up covering other issues as well. I submitted an amendment dealing with a very serious current problem, namely, gun storage. There is no data on gun storage and when guns are not stored properly they may at times end up in criminal hands. From our research and figures on current permits, improperly-stored guns go unchecked. If our Justice Branch is compelled to provide and update information, we’ll be able to close the circle as far as data is concerned. And this type of data is essential for effectively promoting public safety.

How essential is civil society participation to the work of the Commission?

Civil society is absolutely essential, not only for the work carried out inside the Commission such as our investigation into arms trafficking but also independently of our work. The Commission was responsible for various initiatives such as the Permanent Gun Control Subcommission that operates under the Hearing Commission.

What channels could be used for improving communication between the Commission and civilian society?

We plan on using all available means: public debates, Safety Commission meetings and press coverage on current issues. Our goal is to make sure the debate on these issues open to the participation of public opinion.

Translated by Roberto Previdi