In 2024, six of the eight Brazilian cities with the highest homicide rates were in the Northeast. Feira da Santana led the ranking of the most violent city in Brazil, with a murder rate of 55.63 per 100,000 inhabitants. It was followed followed by Recife, with a homicide rate of more than 41 per 100,000 inhabitants. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Feira da Santana was the 22nd most deadly city.

In 2024, there were a total of 2,532 shootings registered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. March was the month with the most shootings in each of the given years, except for 2024 - in that year, there were 254 occurrences, or about 10 percent of the year's total. The lowest number of shootings in the given period occurred in August 2023 when 153 cases were recorded. Police violence in Rio In 2022, the Supreme Court ordered the state government of Rio de Janeiro to come up with a plan to reduce police lethality, as the level of violence in police actions was deemed unacceptable, due to high numbers of casualties and human rights violations. The number of civilians killed as a result of police intervention more than quadrupled between 2013 and 2019, reaching a record number of 1,814 that year. Despite the decrease in comparison to 2019, every year from 2020 to 2022 saw more than 1,200 civilians being killed. Furthermore, it is deemed that there is structural racism in the actions of security forces. For instance, 80 percent of the deaths caused by police interventions in the state during 2023 were of people of color. Shootings and massacres in Rio Civil society and public institutions have made proposals to alleviate this situation. One of them is the ADPF 635 (Allegation of Violation of a Fundamental Precept), also known as ADPF Favelas Case, presented by the Brazilian Socialist Party, and whose preliminary approval took place in June 2020. The measure restricted unplanned police operations in the favelas during the pandemic. Despite its frequent violations, it showed evident results. Shootings fell from 7,368 in 2019 to less than 3,000 in 2024. Over one third of documented shootings in 2024 were due to police operations, while 288 were motivated by murder or attempted murder, the second most common reason. In March 2022, the government of Rio de Janeiro published a plan to reduce deaths during police operations. That year, the State of Rio de Janeiro recorded 92 fewer deaths than the previous year, and the number has fallen every year since.

The Rio de Janeiro (RJ) municipality presents one of the highest crime rates in Brazil. However, since the 2000s, a significant reduction of lethal crimes has been observed. Given this scenario, the aim of this study is to analyze the factors that determined this phenomenon. Among them, it seeks to assess the effects of the Pacifying Police Unit (Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora - UPP). To this end, the statistical error correction vector (ECV) method was used. This study allowed for the analysis of short- and long-term relationships between crime rates and variables associated with economic activity and police action. The applied dataset comprises the period between April 2002 and August 2019. The main results indicate that UPP implementation contributed to lethal crime reduction in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Furthermore, the results show that coercive police action tends to increase crime rates.

In 2024, the highest homicide rate among 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries surveyed was in Haiti, with around 62 murders committed per 100,000 inhabitants. Trinidad and Tobago came in second, with a homicide rate of 46, while Honduras ranked seventh, with 25. In the same year, the lowest rate was recorded in El Salvador, with a homicide rate of 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. A violence-ridden region Violence and crime are some of the most pressing problems affecting Latin American society nowadays. More than 40 of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world are located in this region, as well as one of the twenty countries with the least peace in the world according to the Global Peace Index. Despite governments’ large spending on security and high imprisonment rates, drug and weapon trafficking, organized crime, and gangs have turned violence into an epidemic that affects the whole region and a solution to this issue appears to be hardly attainable. The cost of violence in Mexico Mexico stands out as an example of the great cost that violence inflicts upon a country, since beyond claiming human lives, it also affects everyday life and has a negative impact on the economy. Mexicans have a high perceived level of insecurity, as they do not only fear becoming victims of homicide, but also of other common crimes, such as assault or rape. Such fear prevents people from performing everyday activities, for instance, going out at night, taking a taxi or going to the movies or the theater. Furthermore, the economic toll of violence in Mexico is more than considerable. For example, the cost of homicide and violent crime amounted to 2099.8 and 1778.1 billion Mexican pesos in 2023, respectively.

Raw data and R coding used on the paper

The Latin American public safety market, valued at $51.11 million in 2025, is poised for significant growth, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.40% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is driven by several key factors. Rising crime rates across major Latin American cities are compelling governments to invest heavily in advanced technologies for improved surveillance, crime prevention, and emergency response. Furthermore, increasing adoption of cloud-based solutions offers scalability and cost-effectiveness, fueling market growth. The market is segmented by component (software – encompassing location management, record management, investigation management, crime analysis, and criminal intelligence – and services), deployment mode (on-premise and cloud), and end-user industry (medical, transportation, law enforcement, firefighting, and others). The increasing prevalence of sophisticated cybercrime necessitates robust cybersecurity measures within public safety systems, further boosting demand for specialized software and services. Government initiatives promoting digital transformation and smart city projects are also contributing positively to market expansion. However, challenges such as budgetary constraints in certain regions and the need for robust data privacy regulations could act as potential restraints. The significant market share held by law enforcement agencies is expected to remain prominent throughout the forecast period. The robust growth trajectory is fueled by the increasing adoption of integrated security systems offering comprehensive solutions. Companies like Cisco, Esri, Genetec, Honeywell, and Motorola Solutions are major players, leveraging their expertise in advanced technologies to cater to the evolving needs of Latin American public safety agencies. The market is witnessing a transition towards cloud-based solutions driven by their inherent flexibility and enhanced accessibility. This trend is particularly pronounced in regions with improved internet infrastructure. The presence of established players alongside emerging technology providers ensures a competitive market, spurring innovation and driving down costs. Continued investment in research and development of cutting-edge technologies will be crucial in shaping the market landscape and effectively addressing the escalating security challenges in the region. Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia are anticipated to represent significant portions of the market, reflecting their larger populations and higher crime rates. Recent developments include: February 2024: Irisity, a Swedish AI and video analytics software provider, increased investments in Latin America, focusing on public security, transportation, and mission-critical infrastructure. The company supplies technology in countries like Mexico and Argentina and supports emergency services in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Irisity collaborates with the Uruguayan security firm Grupo Securitas. The regional strategy includes bolstering brand recognition, expanding the team, and fostering partnerships with integrators, resellers, and camera manufacturers., June 2023: Hexagon AB's Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division launched a new Citizen Reporting portal for its HxGN OnCall Records suite. The portal allows citizens to file police reports online, search for incident records, request services, and view incident maps. According to the company, this public-facing portal aims to streamline interactions between citizens and law enforcement agencies, increase transparency, and alleviate staffing challenges that public safety agencies and local governments face.. Key drivers for this market are: Increasing Investments in Advanced Cybersecurity Technologies to Protect Sensitive Data, Critical Infrastructure, Stringent Government Regulations to Invest in Safety Measures to Enhance Safety. Potential restraints include: Increasing Investments in Advanced Cybersecurity Technologies to Protect Sensitive Data, Critical Infrastructure, Stringent Government Regulations to Invest in Safety Measures to Enhance Safety. Notable trends are: Software Component to Hold Significant Market Share.

In 2024, the highest amount of crimes recorded in the state of São Paulo was for thievery, excluding vehicle thievery, with more than half a million cases. The second most common crime was robberies, with nearly 189,000 incidences.

The annual robbery rate in the city of Rio de Janeiro has stabilized since 2020, after it more than doubled from roughly 850 robberies per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012 to almost 1,900 in 2017. The sharpest decline in the robbery rate occurred between 2019 and 2020 when it fell from 1,500 to below 1,000 thefts, reflecting a decrease of approximately 38 percent. In 2024, the annual robbery rate was 973 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants, however this still equates to almost one percent of the population being robbed each year.

The city of Bogotá, Colombia, ranked first as the Latin American metropolis most prone to traffic jams in 2020. According to the index, the Colombian capital experienced that year an average traffic increase of 53 percent during rush hours, in comparison to the city's level of traffic in uncongested times. Peru's capital, Lima, recorded the second worst congestion level that year, meaning that a road trip during peak hours took around 42 percent longer than under low traffic conditions. Out of the top 12 Latin American cities evaluated in 2020, seven are located in Brazil.

This statistic illustrates the air pollution level in South American cities as of 2018. In that year, with a PM10 average of 95 microgram per cubic meter, Santa Gertrudes in Brazil was the most polluted city in South America.