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THE police strike in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte entered its 20th day today, with authorities calling a state of emergency.
The north-eastern state’s government declared the emergency yesterday in response to widespread looting and riots with the police off the streets.
The state’s public safety department has reported a spike in burglaries and violence, including at least 100 murders.
Officers, who are forbidden to strike under Brazilian law, have confined themselves to barracks since December 20 in protest at unpaid wages and unacceptable working conditions, including a lack of police vehicles.
The emergency measures puts all state resources, services and employees at the state’s disposal and allows the government to hire private firms without a tender process to "normalise the public security services."
The deeply unpopular national President Michel Temer sent 3,000 troops and national guard to patrol the state capital Natal on December 29.
