The role of the municipal civil guard has changed over time. The group, which previously focused on protecting public property, has started acting as a police force, creating specialized units and even equipping them with rifles. A survey conducted by Folha in the country’s capitals reveals that there is a municipal guard in 22 capitals, with 20 of them being armed. The forces in Palmas, Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Vitória, Goiânia, and Curitiba already possess rifles.

Over the years, various laws and executive norms have granted the municipal guard police power and authorization to possess and carry weapons. Currently, there is a push for the approval of a PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) in the National Congress to provide greater legal security and change the name to Municipal Police.

The General Statute of Municipal Guards, approved in 2014, was the first legislation to expand the group's powers, granting them authorization, for example, for the progressive use of force, for ostensive patrolling, and for making arrests in flagrante delicto. In 2018, another law included the municipal guards among the strategic bodies of the Unified Public Security System. Recently, in 2023, a decree by President Lula (PT) regulated parts of this statute.

"Today, we operate in various incidents, such as robbery, theft, kidnapping, and in Goiás, we work closely with the police. We need to strengthen our organization to combat organized crime," said Wellington Ribeiro Paranhos, president of the National Council of Municipal Guard Leaders and Commander of the Goiânia guard. Public security specialist Luís Flávio Sapori expresses concern about the change in municipal guards, who replicate the work of the Military Police instead of developing their own prevention model.

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