Security threat in São Paulo- Brazil: is this the way you want to live?

One of many buildings in Sao Paulo - Brazil

Just may be an inconvenient truth to most, if not all, in São Paulo- Brazil.

Brazil/2019. What type of security inhabitants in Brazil is looking for? We find wire concertinas, broken glass, electrify fences, from a small houses to skyscrapers entrees.
Whaelectrifiedas a sense of worthiness - a strong sense of care and belonging by inhabitants but a worthless and ugly solution to secure their space.

In July 2019, I went on vacation to SP - Brazil. It wasn't my first time there; I've had it before 2008. But other times, they went to work, and if you're a businessman, your know-how and the rush to get in and out as quickly as possible and skip to the next subject, in my case, most of the time in another country or city.

This was not the case this time. This time, I went on vacation; I wanted to know a little more about Brazilian culture and what it is like to live in one of the largest cities in the world - São Paulo. The number of inhabitants in São Paulo amounts to 23.5 million people (2017 estimate). Which indeed is in the 10 largest cities with the most inhabitants in the world, competing with cities like New York and Mexico City.

Metropolitan Region São Paulo (RMSP) - NASA

I stayed near the main airport of Sao Paulo, one of the quietest places from what I saw and experienced - Guarulhos. Near my hotel, and every time I left, I passed one of the many prisons in the area. I didn't ask anyone, but like any other prison, you know it's a prison just because it looks like one anywhere in the world, with high walls, barbed wire, and watchtowers with guards.

I didn't take any pictures of that prison; what was there to show? And is this allowed? So I wasn't going to risk it.

What surprised me most was seeing the same security tactic everywhere else. In every house, every factory, and every garden. To simplify the picture, if there was a (usually high) wall, there is some kind of wire concertina and, in some cases an electrified warning sign. It feels like there is a war, and everyone needs to have an iron wall to protect themselves. You may not believe that even trees are surrounded by barbed wire. See the image below: a print screen from a video found on youtube.com.

Garden tree with Raizewire - From video

It's so ugly that it doesn't look like a house; it looks like anything but a place for someone to live. I asked why because of all this security, and they told me that it is necessary to protect thieves' property, and by putting all those trappings, they prevent the property from being robbed. But what I felt was that someone committed a crime, and you're living in prison! Because I can't imagine a person wanting to live under those conditions. The high walls, with all sorts of things that can damage a burglar or animal, I don't even want to imagine a person or animal being mutilated in my house.

We see everything from broken glass, nails, barbed wire concertina, and tall iron skewers. I was looking to figure out what kind of security people want. They certainly don't want that. Unless the person you rate liking is blind or lacking awareness. At the same time, starting to look from a different perspective, imagine a thief who wants to jump on one of these walls. How can anyone spend all that money when someone wants to pass just need a ladder to climb, but you will also need insulated appliers to cut the barbed wire. And if the person is competent also takes gloves. All of those can be purchased at the same store where the barbed wire concertina was purchased. If the wall is protected with glass or nails, it may carry a strong carpet, or the car carpet also works. Or if I need to remember the tools, do the same as the person in the video below?

Talvez apenas uma verdade inconveniente para alguns, mas nao para todos:

São Paulo- Brasil.

In this first video, you can see that the person doesn't need any tools, just a piece of wood and its crutches!

In this second video, in which the thief is also caught by the security camera (it has a security camera but only serves to film, not alert), he simply runs the risk of being cut and just jumps over.

I didn't like to see all that apparatus. Visit acquaintances or friends and felt that stake to enter a prison, but the worst thing was that I felt no safer. In apartment buildings, there is a doorman who opens the first entrance and then announces to the owner our arrival, only then opens the second door. Precisely the same kind of process for entering jail.

Wall with broken glass on top

But what's scary is if you search, like I did, you'll find all kinds of commercial advertising. How safe these warfare techniques are and how secure they even promote that the person attempting to jump will be maimed or miscarried. Selling plans to appeal to people's shame and fear drive villagers to destroy the beautiful city they live in, even worse, the amount of money they spend on barbed wire. We'll never know, but indeed billions of dollars. And for what? For the citizen to have a sense of security, for the seller to get the money, and for the thief who doesn't want to know. I didn't feel safer or more vulnerable, and when I felt powerless, I felt the need to do something. Write this blog to think of ways to avoid this proliferation of meaningless things and start to innovate. There must be something I can do! Please let me know, and give me your feedback. Remember to subscribe!

House front in Sao Paulo

You can find this blog in Portuguese: https://verdadenaprotecao.blogspot.com/

Also pleasant to read: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sustainable-mobility-jose-milhazes/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/inconvenient-truth-protection-jose-milhazes/?published=t