A Esteio Municipal Guard was a gaucho institution honored with the 1st Award for Excellence in Public Security Practices in Rio Grande do Sul. The delivery took place on Monday afternoon (30) at the Dante Barone Theater, at the Legislative Assembly, and was proposed by state deputy Delegado Rodrigo Zucco. The award was given to Mayor Leonardo Pascoal, the municipal secretary of Public Security, Alberto Rocha, and the commander of GM Estei, Carlos Rafel Miró.
In his statement, Pascoal highlighted the importance of investments made in the sector and the results obtained with the drop in crime in the municipality since 2017. “In the last 12 months alone, more than R$3 million were invested in equipment for our Municipal Guard, from the acquisition of new video surveillance cameras, pistols, long weapons, as well as non-lethal weapons, which we understand are essential equipment for the work of these agents. We made many other investments, such as the construction of our own shooting range and ongoing training of our employees”, he highlighted.
The mayor also said that the investments, combined with the integrated work with the Civil Police and Military Brigade, have resulted in the city having the best results in the entire historical series in the area of Public Security, according to monitoring by the Secretariat State Public Security. “For us, this is a reason for joy and peace of mind for the population. I congratulate deputy Delegado Zucco, as we understand that it is essential that initiatives and public managers who prioritize the area of security in their daily lives can be recognized. We believe that it is essential that society can differentiate public agents who value public security agents and the police from those who relativize crime. And so that society can continue to have these managers, at the head of the different public functions, it is essential that it is possible to establish, then, who is on one side or the other”, he observed.
The proponent of the distinction mentioned that equipping and valuing municipal public security agents is an achievement for the entire population. “In all municipalities that have a Municipal Guard, crime rates have been reduced. We have properly trained and prepared agents. Without a doubt, we have one of the best guards in Brazil in RS. This is a win-win for all gauchos”, he highlighted.
Zucco, who is also president of the Parliamentary Front in Defense of the ALRS Municipal Guards, also said that he is aligning with the State Government a project so that the Executive can invest in the Municipal Guards using ICMS values. Recently, through a project authored by the deputy that was unanimously approved in the Assembly, the guards were included in the Public Security Equipment Program (Piseg), allowing the private sector to also contribute to their equipment. “In total, more than 6.5 million people from Rio Grande do Sul are served by municipal guards in these 45 cities, which confirms the importance that this issue is receiving here,” he said.
The award ceremony was attended by various authorities, including federal and state deputies, mayors, Public Security secretaries and representatives of professional associations from Rio Grande do Sul. The event also served as a tribute to the National Municipal Civil Guard Day, celebrated in October 10th.
