On June 26, Leme participated in a presentation on public security challenges in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro for students from Stanford University who will join the internship program at the Central Intelligence, Surveillance and Technology Center in Support of Public Security (CIVITAS Rio). CIVITAS Rio is an initiative of the Rio de Janeiro City Government focused on the use of data and technology to support public security policies, based at the Rio Operations Center (COR), in Cidade Nova.

The presentation was led by Vinicius Peçanha, Leme’s Area Leader, and was part of the students’ orientation program. They will conduct research and data analysis over nine weeks with CIVITAS Rio. The meeting aimed to provide an overview of the city’s main public security challenges and discuss the role municipal governments can play in violence prevention and in developing evidence-based public policies.

During the presentation, Vinicius discussed the role of municipalities in public security, highlighting that they can make an active contribution through urban space management, coordination among public agencies, the strategic use of data and intelligence, and the implementation of policies aimed at mitigating risk factors before violence escalates. The presentation also addressed the importance of understanding public problems through the production and analysis of evidence, bringing research methods closer to the formulation and implementation of public policies.

As examples of this approach, initiatives developed in partnership with the Rio de Janeiro City Government were presented, including the Prevention Strategies Set (CEP), aimed at preventing robberies and thefts in areas with high concentrations of criminal activity through the integration of data-driven policing and urban interventions; the Municipal Force (FM-RIO), a specialized division of the Municipal Guard structured to operate preventively in areas with higher rates of criminal activity; and CompStat Rio, a results-based management model that uses indicators and continuous monitoring to support decision-making in public security.

The activity provided students with an introduction to the challenges of municipal public security in Rio de Janeiro and the opportunities to apply analytical methods, generate evidence, and use technology in the development of public policies. Leme’s participation reinforces its commitment to knowledge dissemination and to fostering connections between applied research, public management, and the training of professionals dedicated to improving public security.