Public safety policy for rural properties

case study of the Rural Patrol in Catalão/GO, in the Brazilian state of Goiás

Abstract

The growing number of thefts and robberies against rural properties jeopardizes farmers’ safety. Addressing farmers’ unsafety requires public security policies for rural areas. The aim of this study is to analyze the experience of the Rural Patrol as a pilot public security policy conducted in the municipality of Catalão/GO, in the Brazilian state of Goiás. We sought to present the Rural Patrol policy, to map the crimes, to identify their effects and to assess the level of satisfaction of rural residents with the performance of the Rural Patrol. The study was conducted based on the Integrated Service Records (RAI) of the Public Security Secretariat of the State of Goiás. The sample included 67 farms that were victims of property crimes out of a total of 2,338 farms that exists in Catalão/GO. Interviews were conducted with the victims as well as with police officers from the Rural Patrol in the region. Results reveal that theft crimes are concentrated in the farms that are closest to the urban area. Small and medium-sized farms are the ones that suffer most from the effects of crimes, with effects in reduced income and investments. We also show that 91% of the interviewed farmers assess the Rural Patrol positively. Property crimes, mostly theft, cause economic losses to farmers, threatening rural development. Law enforcement, both in preventive and repressive policy approaches, is fundamental for farmers’ safety as well as for regional development.