This article turns to the modus operandi of the police beat of public order officers of the Military Police of Paraíba, directing its focus on what is the "standard operation" of MPs who do the "ostensive policing" in Joao Pessoa. It follows the point of view of these officers on their discretionary practice in responding to non-criminal and criminal incidents, trying to understand how the public office mandate works on the streets and, therefore, through which ways and means the police authority is concretely exercised for the "purposes" for which it is called to act.
police mandate; discretionary power; military Police; conflict management; use of force
