RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Six months since Brazil's government ordered the military to take on policing duties in Rio de Janeiro, crime levels not only remain high, but also they are on the upswing.
President Michel Temer signed the decree deploying troops to the streets on Feb. 16, following a spike in violence that marred this year's famed carnival celebrations.
Observers are now questioning the effectiveness of the military anti-crime strategy.
"After six months of intervention, the figures are still too high and that contributes to the insecurity and violence in Rio de Janeiro," Claudio Beato, coordinator for the Center for the Study of Criminality and Public Safety, told Xinhua.
"It's time for those numbers to decrease or the feeling that the intervention is worthless will increase," said Beato.
Between February 16 and August 15, there have been 4,895 multiple shootings, according to figures from crime-tracking application Fogo Cruzado (Crossfire).
That number represents a 59.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
This year saw 31 shootings in which three or more people were killed, resulting in a total of 130 fatalities, according to Fogo Cruzado.
The figure marks a 183 percent increase compared to the same period in 2017, which saw 13 shootings in which three or more people died, leaving a total of 46 dead.
"The military intervention has become an aggravating factor to the violence in Rio de Janeiro, with extremely warlike operations and many victims," said Maria Couto, Fogo Cruzado's data manager.
Government officials have repeatedly said the increase in shootings and victims is due to increased military and police operations since February.
The intervention receives daily criticism from favela residents as well as members of social organizations and those who fight for human rights.
However, not everyone is opposed to the military presence.
Businesses have seen a decrease in robberies and cargo theft, which terrorized Rio at the beginning of the year.
"Intelligence work to reduce cargo theft is very important," Sergio Duarte, vice president of Rio de Janeiro state's industry federation.
"The numbers are very positive," Duarte said.
