Rio de Janeiro Homicide Numbers Fall in May, But Deaths in Police Clashes Rise

By Xiu Ying, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Figures from the Institute of Public Security (ISP) for May of this year reinforce the trend of recent months: the number of homicides fell by 21 percent compared to May 2018. There were 333 murders, against 423.

The number of deaths resulting from clashes with the police increased by eight percent: 156 in May of this year against 145 in the same period last year.

Deaths from violent lethality, covering the sum of intentional homicides, larceny (murder with intent to rob), deaths from state agent intervention and bodily injury followed by death, fell by 14 percent (583 to 500).

The ISP data obtained by daily newspaper Globo refer to the partial data for May, which implies that these will continue to be reviewed.

The table also shows a drop in street theft (12 percent), vehicle theft (17 percent) and cargo theft (six percent).