Col. Lima Castro, new Inspector General of the Municipal Guard of RJ
English translation of article: “Experiência de UPP na Guarda Municipal.” From Metro Rio, originally published April 6, 2011.
UPP Experience in the Municipal Guard [GM]
Colonel Lima Castro, ex-public relations coordinator of the PM [Military Police], assumes command of the organization and sets improving the image of the GM as his primary goal. The second phase of “Shock of Order,” with 24 hour patrols, will begin in Tijuca
One of the principal personalities in the PM during the taking of Complexo do Alemão assumes command of the Municipal Guard. Colonel Henrique Lima Castro, ex-public relations chief of the PM, took over the post of Inspector General of the company yesterday in a ceremony at the battalion headquarters of the GM, in São Cristóvão, replacing Col. Ricardo Pacheco of the PM.
Among the principle management challenges of the new inspector will be to increase the role of the organization and improve its image among the population. “I will bring my 28 years of experience in the PM to the office. There, my mission was to improve the image of the police, and because of this I was chosen for the GM. My objective is to show to the population what is the Guard,” said Col. Lima Castro.
Today, the GM has 5,200 officers and is about to execute the second phase of the “Shock of Order” in Tijuca, which will be conducted by new officers who have received special training and will graduate on Monday. “I have already participated in four meetings with the mayor’s team. In the short term, the priorities are the graduation of the new guards and the installation of the Public Order Units (UOPs),” he said.
The first UOP will be put in place in Tijuca; its principal purpose will be patrolling the region 24 hours a day without effective rotation, a pre-determined group of guards will always care for the same area. The steams are equipped with radios and handheld computers.
Present at the ceremony, Mayor Eduardo Paes denied changes to the Guard: “This will not be a major change. These are two excellent officials.” Col. Ibis Silva Pereira took Col. Lima Castro’s position as Social Communications Coordinator for the PM.
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10,000 guards is Col. Lima Castro’s forecast for the contingent of the GM under his command. Today, the organization has 5,200 professionals. A course to train 2,000 new guards is already underway.
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“My first action at the GM will be to implement the Public Order Units. I intend to use the UPP as my inspiration.”
“At the Guard, I hope to repeat the job I did at the PM. My principal objective is to improve the image of the organization.”
-Col. Lima Castro, new Inspector General of the Municipal Guard
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The Cup and the Games on the Agenda
The next two years of Mayor Eduardo Paes’ mandate will be marked by a few novelties at the Municipal Guard. However, the priorities for this period are already defined.
“The projects at the Municipal Guard will focus on big events. The Military Games, this year, will be a great preparation for the Cup and the Olympics,” said the new commander of the GM, Col. Lima Castro.
With this objective, the forecast is to increase the size of the organization to 10,000 guards—today there are 5,200—and to operate jointly with the Military and Civil Polices forces.