Dino says he is in favor of armed security in schools during times of crisis.

247/Reuters - The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, said this Thursday (13) that he is in favor of the presence of armed security in schools during times of crisis such as the one Brazil is facing, caused by the wave of attacks and threats in educational institutions around the country. 

Dino stated, however, that the federal government does not intend to issue any order or rule in that direction and that armed security in schools will be a decision for states and municipalities, not a mandatory rule. 

The minister highlighted that when he was governor of Maranhão, there were cases in which the presence of armed security was considered.

"There is a worldwide controversy about whether to put armed people in schools. We are not going to decide this alone because it would be unconstitutional," Dino told reporters during the Laad defense industry fair, held in Rio de Janeiro, while emphasizing that state police forces are commanded by governors.

"This is dictated by the needs and capabilities of the people within the schools. It's a case-by-case situation, and I say this from my experience as a manager... I don't think it's a dogmatic issue," he added.

Dino said that in his "ideal world there would be no weapons" and stressed that "we need weapons in the right hands."

"This isn't the Wild West. I trust Brazil's security forces. I believe that these trained, capable people... within the schools, exceptionally, if necessary. But it can't be the rule," he stated.

The minister added that parents of students are frightened and are expecting a response from the authorities to these threats, which are circulating especially on social media.

"What do families, parents of children and teenagers want? They want governments to use force," he emphasized. "Ideally, there shouldn't be a proliferation of weapons in society, but we are seeing an exceptional situation, and it is up to each municipality and state to assess it better."

"Probably, at this moment, the best thing to do is adopt a hybrid model in which you exceptionally have the use of greater force (in schools), but that is purely exceptional and preferably temporary and not something permanent," he added.

Last week, in the most dramatic recent case, a man wielding a hatchet jumped over the wall of a daycare center in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, killing four children and injuring others. The assailant turned himself in to the police.

On Wednesday, Dino announced a decree establishing a series of obligations for social media platforms to follow regarding content that threatens students or educational institutions, such as daycare centers and schools.

According to the minister, some platforms have already started collaborating with the government, but others are still experiencing some difficulties.

"Today we are initiating administrative processes related to each platform; they will be notified of these processes, they will be informed of their duties, and they will have a deadline to provide information, and we expect there to be spontaneous compliance," he said, adding that, if necessary, there will be penalties.