THE INTRODUCTION OF BODY-WORN CAMERAS IN THE PARÁ MILITARY POLICE: TRANSPARENCY AND POLICE LEGITIMACY

Abstract

The concept of digital technologies has been redefined since the beginning of the 21st century, encompassing diverse areas: health, education, economics, and even public safety. In Brazil, through incentives from the Federal Government, new technologies have been incorporated into state police forces, as exemplified by the State of Pará, which acquired weapons and technological equipment, such as Portable Operational Cameras (POCs), in order to positively qualify the service of the Military Police of Pará in terms of transparency and legitimacy of police action. In this study entitled: “The Insertion of the Portable Operational Camera in the Military Police of Pará: transparency and police legitimacy”, we will discuss the introduction of the POC into police service and the consequent results and perspectives of the training and use of this equipment by public security agents in responding to police incidents. The purpose of the research was to analyze the adaptation of the PMPA police service to portable operational camera technology, and to evaluate the new reality of the Military Police of Pará in light of the insertion of technologies that make police service more transparent and legitimate.  As a methodological procedure, the qualitative research model was used, based on Gomes (2016), Marconi and Lakatos (2024), Gil (2025). Finally, we conclude that the use of COPs in police incidents stands out as an element of legitimacy and police transparency, a fact that brings the police forces and society closer together.