Investigative police work in relation to youth homicides in Belo Horizonte

Over the course of the past 30 years, Brazil has experienced an exponential increase in its homicide rates, which is a problem that has been aggravated by the slaughter of young nonwhite, poor, males living in the shantytowns and communities. Given the complexity and the resurgence of the homicide phenomenon in Brazil, this article seeks to discuss some of the main effects that these trends have had on investigative police work. For this purpose, a long process of ethnographic research in six Specialized Homicide Police Units of Belo Horizonte (BH) was conducted between the years 2009 and 2010. During this period, researchers accompanied the daily routine of these units and conducted several in-depth interviews with investigators and civil police chiefs. Among the results, the mismatch between the increasing complexity of the homicide phenomenon and the legal procedures established for investigating the problem in BH should be stressed.