Government announces further reduction in homicides.

Cadu Epifânio/agenciaalagoas.al.gov.br - As April draws to a close, Governor Renan Filho used social media to report that the homicide rate in Alagoas has decreased by 41% compared to the same period last year. As he has consistently stated, Renan Filho emphasized that this is not a time for celebration, but the gradual reduction in violence proves that the approach and actions the government has been taking are yielding results.

The governor's comment was regarding the actions of the Alagoas Military Police who managed to prevent a crime from being carried out in Maceió, this Wednesday (29). Robbers invaded a residence in the Jacarecica neighborhood, taking an entire family hostage. Renan Filho praised the quick action of the PMs who guaranteed the physical integrity of the hostages.

"With swift action, the Military Police secured the victims' freedom through negotiation. There were no reports of violence. It is with this presence, maintaining dialogue and calm, that the Police have been doing serious work that is reducing crime rates in our state," commented the governor.

Next, he announced some encouraging data provided by the Department of Social Defense.

"This month, for example, there has been, so far, a 41% reduction in homicides compared to April of last year. This shows that we are on the right track, and that we must continue in this way to reach where the population expects. Celebrations are not yet appropriate, but this serves as a record of the dedication and commitment of all those who make the peace of Alagoas their mission," concluded the governor. The month of April is not yet over, but the statistics show that the reduction should continue.

The path being forged to remove Alagoas' title as the most violent state in the country is being built day by day through integrated police operations and joint actions focused on intelligence work. The ultimate goal is to end the feeling of impunity, an element that only fuels violence and shames the people of Alagoas.

Until last week – the 23rd – criminal activity related to public transportation in the capital of Alagoas had decreased by more than 80%. In numbers, there were 138 robberies in 2014, compared to 28 incidents in the same period in 2015.

The figures from the Social Defense Statistics Center go even further and confirmed that, up to the beginning of April, Alagoas boasted the largest reduction in the number of intentional lethal violent crimes (homicides) in the Northeast, at 15,89%.