Investigação sobre crimes de homicídio: uma etnografia junto a inspetores e escrivães de polícia civil no Ceará

Abstract

This thesis presents the results of a master’s research in Anthropology conducted with police inspectors and clerks in the state of Ceará, Brazil. The research aimed to understand cases and contexts of investigation in homicide cases, focusing on the knowledge and practices of inspectors and clerks. The study chose to follow the activities of “non-bachelor-trained” agents (Misse, 2011) in their police work. The research’s scope of interlocution is limited to agents who currently work or have worked at the Homicide and Protection of Persons Division (DHPP) in Fortaleza, Ceará, as well as other interlocutors who, while not part of the DHPP, contributed to the study. Due to challenges in gaining access to interlocutors within the police unit, the “snowball” method was used to select interviewees. Observations and interactions were conducted in locations and institutions associated with the daily routines of homicide investigators. The institutions considered in this study are part of what is referred to as the “criminal justice flow” (Ribeiro, 2010): forensic services, custody hearings, and jury trial sessions. These places are treated in this research as spaces where my engagement as a researcher occurred, as they constitute a significant part of the daily life involved in homicide investigations.