NCJ Number
204187
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2004 Pages: 1-14
Date Published
January 2004
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined violent crime on an urban public transportation system in a large city in Brazil.
Abstract
Beginning in the second half of the 1980’s, Brazil claimed one of the highest prevalence of violent crime in the Americas. During the past 2 decades, violent crime has escalated in Brazil and moved to public places, such as banks, gas stations, and the public bus network, which serves a population of approximately 2.4 million. In order to understand violent crimes that occur on the public bus network in Salvador, the authors interviewed 191 bus workers, labor union officials, bus passengers, and police officers. Additionally, 88 police records and 26 criminal investigations were analyzed. The study revealed that 20,572 bus robberies were reported since 1990. Bus robberies have both scripted, or predictable, and unexpected events tied to them. Scripted events include robberies at the end of bus routes and along the route, and are divided into acts against the driver and more extensive actions against the bus passengers. Robberies that occur at the end of bus routes tend to be perpetrated by groups of youth who control the local turf. Another type of bus robbery involves multiple robbers who overwhelm the driver and rob the bus passengers. Overall, bus robberies are viewed as interactive, unexpected, yet commonplace events that involve a psychological power game that results in financial losses, injuries, fatalities, racial tensions, and police use of excessive force. Racial tensions erupt because the fear of robbery contributes to the reinforcement of racial stereotypes, which focus on poor males of color as a threat to public safety. To make matters worse, police actions have proved ineffective at controlling robberies on the public bus network. The authors suggest that the control of bus crime should move beyond the jurisdiction of the police to the creation of job opportunities and other services that will help lift a segment of society out of poverty. References