Police adopt ‘trafficking tactics’ to stop vehicle thefts in Rio; understand

The Military Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro began the installation of concrete barriers — known as Jersey blocks — at the accesses to the community of Fazendinha, in Complexo do Alemão, north of the capital of Rio de Janeiro. The measure, according to O Globo, has as its main objective to hinder the logistics of organized crime, hindering the entry of stolen passenger vehicles and, above all, cargo trucks in the region.

To ensure the effectiveness of the tactic without paralyzing the daily lives of residents, the engineering adopted by the corporation arranged the structures in a zigzag format. This design forces a drastic reduction in speed and prevents the passage of large vehicles or cars at high speed, but preserves the free movement of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

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Replicated success and controversies

The expansion of the tactic to Alemão is a direct response to the operational results obtained in Complexo da Maré. There, the installation of similar blockades on 12 access roads generated a significant drop in crime rates between 2024 and 2025. Official data from the Institute of Public Security (ISP) indicate that cargo thefts plummeted by 36%, while vehicle thefts suffered an even more drastic retraction, of 50%. This downward trend was consolidated in the first two months of 2026, validating the effectiveness of the physical barrier in combating logistics crime.

Despite the favorable numbers, the government initiative divides opinions. Representatives of the transport sector, such as Sindicarga, strongly support the expansion of the measure, arguing that commercial trucks do not have regular routes on these narrow roads, except when they are the result of illegal acts. On the other hand, civil society organizations, such as the NGO Redes da Maré, criticize the strategy. They allege that the use of barricades by the State mimics the method historically imposed by the drug traffickers themselves to control territories and prevent police advances. Regardless of the debate, the statistical results indicate that the government should take the tactic to other areas of Rio.