In São Paulo, a significant rise in police-related deaths was reported in the last quarter of 2025, reaching a total of 276 incidents, marking the highest police lethality since 1996. This increase is largely attributed to operations conducted by the elite police units, Rondas Ostensivas Tobias de Aguiar (Rota) and the Batalhões de Ações Especiais de Polícia (Baep). These specialized battalions, trained to confront armed groups, have engaged in lethal encounters with greater frequency and across a wider geographic scope than in previous years.

The expansion of police actions resulting in fatalities was most noticeable in the interior regions of São Paulo State, although the metropolitan area also experienced similar increases. In contrast to the rise in police-related deaths, the state recorded its lowest homicide rate since 2001, with 2,527 murders in the past year, averaging about one homicide every three and a half hours. This juxtaposition raises questions about the overall effectiveness of policing strategies and the implications for civilian safety and community relations.

The involvement of elite police units in lethal encounters has sparked public debate over the tactics employed in crime prevention and the use of force. As communities grapple with the implications of rising police violence juxtaposed against falling overall homicide rates, there is calls for greater accountability and scrutiny of policing methods employed by these elite units to ensure they are acting justly and effectively. The situation reflects the ongoing challenges facing law enforcement in balancing crime control with the preservation of human rights and public trust.