In Brazil, the transition from the state of exception to the democratic rule of law contributed to significant changes in the design of policing. Among other changes, are included: external control of the police internal affairs, investigation and punishment for "bad cops", the involvement of the police and the population in community councils, seeking improvements to security issues, concerns by the police with a different treatment approaches for citizens and those who seek to provide the police complaints, investment in intellectual training in police academies, requirements for the Brazilian government to obey international agreements that establish the purpose of torture as a research method. This process has found, however, some obstacles and resistance. In this paper, results of a survey conducted between the years 1999 to 2007 the Unified Police Magistrate in Fortaleza (CE) presents some complaints involving military and civilian police in criminal acts punishable as disciplinary offenses. As a conclusion of the research, I argue that, because of the lack of dialogue and peaceful rules between police and civilians, police violence has compromised the expectations of the civilizing process that is exerted by the strengthening of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force.
Police Practices; External Control; Monopoly of Violence; Police Violence; Community Policing