In Brazil, an exam of the public security question reveals that, at least since the 1970s, there is a continuous growth of criminality and violence, mainly in the metropolitan and peripherial areas of great cities of the country, and that the judiciary system, and, in particular, the police has been ineffectual at facing this subject. In this scenery, one of the topics frequently pointed out by public security specialists, by public policy makers, by government authorities and even by the policemen/women is the necessity to professionalize the Brazilian police as a resource to qualify the force in a more efficient, responsible and effective way to maintain order and public security. The main goal of this work is to analyze the professional police model present in professional training developed in police academies - civil and military - and its consequences to the future policeman/woman formation to perform police daily activities. The analysis of the professional police formation is based on curricula accomplished by Police Academies in Rio de Janeiro state, administered by Academia Estadual Sylvio Terra (ACADEPOL), in which formation and specialization courses are carried out in order to provide professional improvement by Centro de Formação e Aperfeiçoamento de Praças 31 de Voluntários (CFAP), responsible for the formation and professional development of the police force; and by Academia de Polícia D. João VI (APM D. João VI), in which police command courses are offered.
police; professionalism; democracy; crime; violence