Three months after Rio’s government slashed its Olympic security budget by $500 million, the city’s police force is desperate for any resources it can get.
Just weeks before the 2016 Olympic Games begin, the Rio police department is cutting costs any way it can so it will have some semblance of funds when the Games begin Aug. 5. This includes grounding helicopters, delaying officers’ paychecks, and asking for donations.
The cuts came back in March as a result of one of the country’s worst recessions ever. This financial crisis comes while the rest of the world watches the ravaged city prepare for one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
According to those in Rio, the security force’s lack of funds has been affecting the department for months now. Multiple people have told the AP that they have come to file a police report and finding out that the officers do not have paper to print the report off on.
After putting up with the cuts, members of the police force decided to show their disdain Monday, displaying a sign for those who arrived in Rio.
Seen at the airport in Rio today: First responders welcome toutists. A sign of what's to come during the Olympics? pic.twitter.com/mCOYB3deuo
— Michael Smith (@SmithMarkets) June 27, 2016
The city and its civil police chief have been rather quiet about the incident. Rio’s acting governor, Francisco Dornelles, declared a state of financial crisis this past month in an attempt to help bring funds to the security force. Rio is expected to have around 85,000 soldiers and officers deployed during the Games, about twice as many as were used at the 2012 Games in London. This increase comes as a result of Rio’s issues with crime.
This issue seems like a large one in itself, but it is just one of many Rio and Brazil will have to face when the world makes its way to the Olympics. There’s polluted water and a suspended drug testing facility, among other things. We will try to keep track of the issues as they continue to arise, but we might lose count over the coming weeks.
