Even with the high number of cases, the rate is lower than that recorded in the same period in previous years; in 2020 and 2021, there were almost 5,450 and 5,470 police reports, respectively
The Secretary of Public Security (SSP) of the State of São Paulo held a press conference this Wednesday, the 22nd, and reported that 3,486 occurrences of thefts or thefts of cell phones were accounted for during the Carnival period. Even with the high number, the folder considered the improvement in the rates, since in previous years the festivities were held – since in 2021 and 2022 there was no Carnival due to the pandemic of the Covid-19 – there was an increase of almost 2 thousand registrations more than this year’s numbers. In 2020 and 2021, there were almost 5,450 and 5,470 police reports, respectively. This year, in the last few days, 2,328 cases of theft of telephone sets and 1,158 theft of cell phones were communicated to the police authorities. Colonel Cássio Araújo de Freitas, general commander of the Military police, explained that there was a concern with the dispersion sites, but that there were no major problems or records of more serious occurrences. “There was collaboration from the organizers, who responded to our requests, especially in relation to schedules”, he said. There is, however, the possibility of more cell phones being notified of robbery or theft in the same police report. Therefore, the SSP did not report the exact amount of devices taken by criminals. According to the folder, 629 suspects were arrested suspected of committing crimes during the carnival. The Military Police (PM) recovered, this year, just over 200 devices and part of these were returned to the owners.