On August 4, Joana Monteiro, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Leme, participated in the Caminhos do Rio – Municipal Responsibility in Public Security seminar, held at the Globo Publishing House auditorium in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Organized by the newspapers O GLOBO and Extra, the event brought together public officials, researchers, and civil society representatives to discuss the role of municipalities in addressing violence and opportunities for coordination among different levels of government in the development of public security policies.

Joana participated in the panel “Technology, Data, and Integration in Public Security,” alongside Victor dos Santos, Secretary of State for Public Security of Rio de Janeiro, and Daniel Hirata, researcher and Special Advisor to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. The discussion was moderated by journalist Rafael Galdo and addressed the use of data, technology, and institutional coordination mechanisms to strengthen public security management.

During her participation, Joana highlighted the importance of structuring public policies around evidence and strengthening permanent coordination mechanisms among the different agencies responsible for public security. According to her, using data to guide decisions and set priorities makes it possible to allocate resources more efficiently and increase the government’s capacity to respond to different forms of violence.

“Large cities gain significantly by creating this structure because they can focus very closely on the problems that affect their citizens,” she said.

Discussing the role of municipalities, Joana emphasized that the activities of municipal guards should take into account the specific characteristics of each city. She argued that, in large urban centers, municipal guards can contribute to data-driven policing strategies focused on areas with higher concentrations of crime. She also highlighted the importance of establishing institutionalized coordination and implementation structures capable of integrating information and supporting decision-making in public security.

The seminar was divided into two panels and brought together experts to discuss topics related to violence prevention, the use of public space, institutional coordination, and combating organized crime. The discussions were part of the Caminhos do Rio initiative, which promotes debate on proposals to strengthen public policies in the state of Rio de Janeiro.