A Atuação das Guardas Municipais na Segurança Pública Contemporânea: Tecnopoliciamento e a Redução da Criminalidade Urbana na Cidade de São Paulo

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of the São Paulo Metropolitan Civil Guard (GCM-SP) in the contemporary public security context, with particular emphasis on the expansion of its institutional capacity, the strengthening of preventive and community policing, and the incorporation of video surveillance and artificial intelligence technologies into urban security strategies. The study is based on the premise that the complexity of crime in large Brazilian cities requires integrated action among different levels of government and among the institutions that comprise the public security system, without implying the replacement of the constitutionally assigned responsibilities of state security forces. In this context, the research investigates how municipal investment in infrastructure, human capital, and techno-policing can contribute to expanding the capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to criminal incidents in the city of São Paulo. The study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis through a case study of the GCM-SP and an examination of secondary data obtained from institutional sources and official statistics. The discussion addresses the expansion of the responsibilities of Municipal Civil Guards, the General Statute of Municipal Civil Guards, community policing, and the use of technological systems applied to urban security. It is argued that municipal action, when integrated with other institutions and guided by legality, proportionality, protection of fundamental rights, and operational efficiency, can contribute to crime prevention and to improving the state's response to everyday security problems. The study concludes that the São Paulo model represents a relevant experience in the articulation of territorial presence, technology, and public management, although the relationship between municipal investments and reductions in crime indicators requires methodological caution, given the multiplicity of factors that influence urban crime dynamics.