Organized crime is a “new phenomenon” that has moved from the physical world to the digital sphere, from cities to a global scale, and from clandestinity into the structures of power and the economy. That was the assessment by Lewandowski, who appeared before the CPI on Organized Crime this Tuesday (9).
The minister said that the main obstacle to federal action is a lack of financial resources. He also defended the approval of the Public Security Constitutional Amendment (PEC 18/2025), which aims to integrate all Brazilian police forces and security agencies. Under the proposal, the Unified Public Security System (Susp) would require information sharing and function “similar to the SUS” (Brazil’s national public health system).
The National Public Security Fund (FNSP) received an additional R$ 500 million (US$92m) in the 2025 Budget, compared with R$ 2 billion (US$367m) in 2022. The increase is “nothing,” according to Lewandowski.
The minister argued that the R$ 400 million (US$73.5m) budget freeze imposed on the FNSP this year left the fund “with its hands tied.” According to Lewandowski, PEC 18/2025 would make the fund’s resources permanent and protected from future freezes. The FNSP provides funding to states and municipalities for public security initiatives based on programs defined by the federal government.
Lewandowski praised Senator Alessandro Vieira’s proposal — included in his alternative draft to Bill 5,582/2025, which establishes the legal framework for combating criminal factions and other forms of organized crime — to create a “new section” within the FNSP dedicated exclusively to fighting organized crime, funded by a new tax levied on online betting companies.
For Lewandowski, the measure will face challenges because it involves changes to multiple laws, but it could result in “a completely innovative system for financing public security.”
Source: Agência Senado
