Rio State Security Chief Resign Amid Surge of Violence, Crime

Public Security Secretary for Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state Jose Mariano Beltrame has announced his resignation after almost a decade in office in the wake of a wave of violence that emerged in the state.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The announcement came after a series of clashes between police and drug traffickers in Rio. According to media reports, the clashes were intense in the neighborhoods which had once been first to receive additional police units under Belatrame's security policy.

"There comes a time when we have to pass the baton to another person, because public security is not something we win, we can [only] anticipate and ease problems," Beltrame told the RJTV broadcaster on Tuesday.

Beltrame made a positive statement about his administration, saying that "most of the staff was good, even with some unsatisfactory results." The outdoing security secretary is expected to be replaced by Roberto Sa next week.

Beltrame, who took office in 2007, promoted the program of so-called pacification in 2008 to reduce violence, crime and instability in Rio, once notorious for the extensive activity criminal and drug gangs, which also resulted in multiple murders. The program included the establishment of additional police stations and deployment of units in the poorest areas, commonly referred as favelas, which are generally controlled by murderous drug gangs.

The policy was acknowledged to have positive results as in 2015 Rio witnessed the smallest annual amount of murders since 1991.