Federal Highway Police

from highway police to a new institutional positioning

Abstract

The Federal Highway Police (PRF) is part of the public security system, having acquired in 1988 the status of permanent body and constitutional provision for career progression. Since then, the institution has demonstrated success in fulfilling its duties, with a reduction in traffic accidents and an increase in drug seizures. However, studies on the institution in the social sciences are scarce. This article aims to investigate the main structural changes that the PRF has undergone and that have culminated in its institutional strengthening in the last two decades, as well as to bring notes to a research agenda. In order to carry out the research, the annual management reports made available by the agency were analyzed, as well as complementary information in its channels and official documents referring to the last two decades, until 2021. It was found that the PRF has gone through an institutional process similar to that carried out by the Federal Police in recent years, with an increase in public investments and renewal of its staff, although it has not acquired the same media attention. In addition, the agency has changed the emphasis on disclosing its activities in official documents, giving greater attention to its attributions to combat crimes, to the detriment of those related to traffic control.