Rise comes under Governor Wilson Witzel, a Bolsonaro ally who has promised a zero-tolerance policy against criminals

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Police killings in the state of Rio de Janeiro have hit a record high, rising by 18% in the first three months of this year.

Official data reviewed by the Associated Press on Friday show police forces in Rio killed 434 people during clashes in those months, compared with 368 people in same period last year.

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The number is the highest since record keeping began in 1998. The data was released on 17 April.

The rise comes under the watch of the Governor Wilson Witzel, a former marine and political ally of Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro. Witzel has promised a zero-tolerance policy against criminals, calling drug traffickers “narco-terrorists” and vowing to ease gun possession laws.

Earlier this year, he confirmed plans to implement shoot-to-kill policing tactics in the region.

The police communications department declined to comment about the latest statistics.

Since 2014, the number of victims in Brazilian police operations has risen sharply, despite a respite in 2016 when the country hosted the Olympic Games and implemented a security operation with military support.

Last year, the military was put in charge of the state’s security forces.

Rates for crimes such as theft dropped under the intervention, but critics say structural problems remain unsolved.

Widespread violence is a historical problem in Brazil and in Rio, one of its main tourist destinations. Rio state has a population of just under 17 million people.