The government of São Paulo, the state run by Governor Tarcísio de Freitas of the Republicanos party, launches on Tuesday (22) a new policing model: motorcycle patrols armed with rifles riding the urban corridors of the state capital, mainly in areas with high robbery rates. The column Painel of the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported the launch and stressed the calendar, with the program starting 13 days before the election.

The operation will field 250 officers and 150 motorcycles in the capital, focused on the urban corridors, according to Brasil 247, which described the force as a military structure. Folha ran a photo of two officers from Bravo, the Advanced Operational Response Battalion.

From campaign proposal to launch

The idea did not appear this week. On August 12, Jovem Pan listed a motorcycle battalion with rifles among the public security proposals put forward by Tarcísio, alongside an integrated police report system. On Tuesday the plan left the drawing board.

The stated goal is to curb robberies on the urban corridors, the fast traffic arteries that cross the city. On the timing, the two outlets that covered the launch point to the same detail: it arrives 13 days before Brazil's national election, which this year also decides state governorships.

The patrols start operating in the capital this week, 13 days before voters go to the polls.