Murders in schools and hospitals: the urgency of a strategic pact in the name of security | Report

In 2018, Fortaleza City Hall joined the Safer Access program, run by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The objective of the partnership was to ensure that the population had access to essential public services even in areas of social vulnerability and with high rates of crime and violence. The measure was taken shortly after Ceará broke the record for murders in the midst of the most acute moment of the war between factions.

There is a consensus that, even in the fiercest armed conflicts, a minimum of peaceful sociability needs to be maintained. This is a parameter to measure the severity of the events that occurred yesterday morning: two cases of murders in institutions that should serve as a safe point of support both for the citizens who use them and for the people who work in such institutions. establishments.

The motivations for the two crimes differ directly. What they have in common is the state of vulnerability of public spaces in a scenario of an increase in lethal violence. In an election year, there is a lack of anyone to take responsibility and there is a lot of outsourcing. The argument that ensued, between the State Government and City Hall, after the homicides were announced, is not what we expect from our political leaders.

Each public entity has its obligations. States and municipalities are no exception to this rule, playing a leading role when it comes to public safety.

The most sensible thing to do is to smooth the edges between the two powers with a view to improving the security of the population. Sign a pact of understanding on central points that go beyond electoral disagreements. There are several reasons for this “ceasefire”, but I focus on just two: a) people, in general, do not want to know whether party X or Y is responsible for ensuring security, but rather have this right guaranteed in their daily lives ; and b) even for the sake of electoral calculation, those who are window-dressers cannot randomly throw stones at their neighbors. In this conflict, only the snipers win.