To achieve the goal of delivering secure Olympic and Paralympic Games, it is necessary an integrated action plan, performed by the three levels of government (city, state and federal). They have to be in constant dialogue with the Organising Committee and the international agencies. In order to lead this process, there is no one more prepared than Luiz Fernando Corrêa, former National Secretary for Public Security, former Federal Police CEO and current Rio 2016™ Security Director.

At 53 years old, the gaucho from Santa Maria has three decades of services provided to Brazil. In 1980, he was about to complete his graduation in Physical Education. At that moment, a Federal Police agent public competition made Brazil loose a potential Volleyball star. Nevertheless, it was starting the career of one of the most qualified public security figures in the country. He has been a drug enforcement agent for 14 years. In 1995, he was named federal delegate, after finishing the Law School. Then, the opportunities have appeared. He ended up invited to higher positions of the security sector.

“In Federal Police, my goal was to be a good cop. Being a delegate was a common dream for those in the career, and I was going after that. Once I became a delegate, I started being appointed to other positions, and I have always worked with an excellent team of professionals. The Secretary Beltrame (current Rio de Janeiro State Security Secretary) is part of this group. We have matured together. Afterwards, the things that have happened were a consequence of that. Being a National Secretary was never an ambition of mine, being a Federal Police CEO neither, because this is a universe occupied by one person. It cannot be anybody’s goal”, he says.

“When I became a National Secretary, in 2003, I was appointed by the Justice Minister, Marcio Thomaz Bastos, due to my work as a federal police officer. I was a new officer, essentially an operational police officer, and after a little while I was a public policy administrator. I have spent three years and a half there. I have grown as an administrator and, in 2007, the Pan-American Games finished. At that time, we were able to apply our concepts, and everything went well. Then, the government decided to put me in charge of the Federal Police”, completes Luiz Fernando, with master degree in public security administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas and one of the creators of the Public Security National Force, a cooperation programme developed in 2004 to connect police forces.

Security sensation

The concept of police integration and the first experiences with community police in the slums were tested in the Rio 2007 Pan- American Games. The good results and excellent administration of these initiatives have accredited Brazil to major pretensions. The security project of Rio’s Olympic bid received more positive evaluations than the European and North-American projects.

Our ability was proved. Then, it was time to get down to work. Not fully developed yet, the Rio 2016™ Security Directorate will be divided into five management areas: Operations, Institutional Relations, Intelligence, International Relations and Planning, Projects and Logistic. The dialogue with the security provider, the State, is constant. The Organising Committee is a facilitator and responsible for the operation only within the Games competition and non-competition venues. “The greatest Brazilian commitment is to deliver secure Games in a broad sense. The security concept is a little wider than police activity. We are talking about security, strict meaning, civil defense and contingency plans, because we have to picture parallel scenarios for the Games. Most of our people will be focused on the event, but the citizens cannot be forgotten.”

“We have not only to be able to provide security. We have to be able to provide security with discretion and make people feel safe. It is a set of variables that comprise the host city ambience, for instance, something that already exists. In Rio, today, there is a better security sensation. Based on delegation, venue and important people course risk report, the measures will be taken. That is the objective part, but it goes beyond that. One of the items is to communicate, to show. You are showing when you previously communicate the State ability and the rigour of your plan.”

Commitment with the country’s image

In the current planning phase, previous experience in Olympic Games generates valuable information. By the end of every edition, the host cities make a debriefing, in other words, they produce a report that describes the good results and mistakes made in the preparation of the Games. On the other hand, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gathers all reports, positive and negative, generating knowledge to the next editions. Five years to the Games, it is time for Rio 2016™ to collect information.

Combined with this know-how, exchanging data with international organisms and agencies is vital. Plus the police and multilateral security entities, such as Interpol, the National Olympic Committees maintain a close relation and constant contact with the Organising Committee regarding its internal demands.

“Brazil doesn’t have a history of tragic events such the ones caused by terrorism, but this is not only a Brazilian sporting event. It is a global sporting event. We owe that to the world. You will come here with your athletes, with the Olympic spirit, but we cannot deny that all countries bring its taint, even knowing that they don’t want to do so. So, we have to neutralize it. Brazil has a great ability of inserting itself internationally in the intelligence networks. The risk report is vital. Our role is to plan a security scheme that avoids incidents. If they happen, our plan has to comprise a prompt response. But knowledge is more important than an alert security scheme,” believes Luiz Fernando.

More than assuring fearless Games, the Security Directorate has a commitment with the country’s image. Even in an Olympic environment, enjoyable and relaxed by its nature, having the eyes of the world focused on Rio is challenging. Luiz Fernando Corrêa works in team, side by side a public apparatus that someday was run by him. His large experience plays in his favour, as well as it does the Carioca celebration spirit. Playing for peace, the hosts couldn’t be any better.