Police Violence and Custody Hearings: An Analysis of Authoritarian Remnants in Drug Offenses in Arcoverde/Pe, Brazil

This paper is an empirical study that aims to analyze the extent to which custody hearings have fulfilled their purpose of curbing police violence in drug trafficking cases in the city of Arcoverde/PE. In terms of methodology, the research employed an inductive approach, descriptive-exploratory research, and a qualitative approach as methodological tools, with data collection techniques involving documentary and bibliographic research, utilizing content analysis to observe and interpret the collected data. From this perspective, the specific objectives of the research are as follows: to analyze the decisions of judges in custody hearings in Arcoverde in drug trafficking cases where there has been a report of police violence; to understand the influence of the public security program of the state of Pernambuco, Pact for Life, on violent police practices in drug trafficking offenses; and to identify authoritarian continuities in police practices and the judiciary’s role in drug trafficking flagrant cases. In conclusion, this research has found that custody hearings in the city of Arcoverde still face challenges in ensuring full effectiveness in curbing police violence, requiring both a reformulation of police practices and judicial practices involving their legal actors.