LEGISLATION APPLIED TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLICING: SUMMARY OF THE LEGAL PROVISIONS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE PREVENTION AND REPRESSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFRACTIONS

Abstract

The military police, through their units specialized in environmental policing, represent the largest contingent and structure for combating environmental infractions in Brazil. However, due to the current Brazilian police system, military police officers are trained on a curricular basis aimed at preparing them for general overt policing, focusing on the prevention and repression mainly of urban crime. Even though this curricular base includes a few hours of instruction on legislation and environmental policing, it is not enough for the police officer to acquire the minimum knowledge necessary to carry out this type of policing as a primary and daily mission. Thus, when assigned to work in an environmental policing unit, the professional needs to specialize, however, there is not always the opportunity to do so through a specialization course, which implies the need to seek, on one's own, the minimum knowledge necessary to carry out this important mission of preventing and repressing environmental infractions. This reality is faced by both officers and soldiers and, in this sense, the present study summarizes, based on the country's vast and complex environmental legislation, as well as the author's professional experience, what are the main legal protection devices and aspects environment, whose knowledge is fundamental for the execution of environmental policing.