Viaturas policiais para operações em áreas rurais: necessidades e percepções dos policiais civis e militares

Abstract

The vehicles used by the Brazilian police are basically commercial vehicles adapted to their needs, including the installation of signal lights, sirens, radio transceivers for communication, as well as plotting or institutional painting for visual identification. The use of commercial vehicles, which were not originally designed for public safety, presents significant limitations, especially in rural environments where specific technical details are generally required, such as trucks with a double cabin and four-wheel drive (4x4). In the meantime, the central question of the research arose: what are the needs and perceptions of police officers regarding operational vehicles used in rural areas? This study demonstrates the needs and perceptions of civil and military police officers in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro in relation to operational vehicles used in rural areas. Through qualitative-quantitative research and structured questionnaires, police officers' perception of vehicles with various dissatisfactions and the needs of the current vehicle fleet were identified. The methodology allowed detailed data collection and revealed that the readjustments of existing commercial vehicles minimally meet the needs perceived by the police force analyzed. The main demands include the implementation of advanced technologies, such as GPS navigation systems and robust communication equipment, to improve vehicle operability.