Port Guard stands out in port security at Santos for over a century

With a staff of 267 agents, including 35 women, both on land and at sea, the Port Authority manages an environment that has grown significantly since its establishment in 1893. That year, president Floriano Peixoto enacted the regulations for the then Companhia Docas de Santos (CDS), which included the internal policing of the Port of Santos.

The numbers related to the Santos port complex are impressive: 16 kilometers of wharves, 25 kilometers of navigation channels, 45 kilometers of public roads, 55 terminals, 66 berths, 100 kilometers of railway tracks and 55 kilometers of pipelines. On average, there are 12,000 trucks per day carrying various types of cargo.

There are two fire trucks, one on each bank of the Port of Santos (Vanessa Rodrigues/ AT)

“The majority of our members work on land due to the access points and the public road policing on the Right Bank (Santos) and Left Bank (Guarujá), as well as the Itatinga Plant in Bertioga. At sea, we conduct maritime patrols,” explains the Port Authority superintendent, Wagner Pinheiro de Almeida. There are 15 operational vehicles, including one for the K-9 unit, two boats (with plans for an additional pair next year, one of which will be armored), two fire trucks and ten motorcycles.

The Port Authority has various duties: controlling access to the Port (at 16 inspection posts); acting as Traffic Authority on Port roads; conducting maritime patrols along the access channel and the anchorage area, focusing on port security and overseeing ship operations; fire prevention and fighting; accrediting companies, individuals and vehicles accessing the Public Port; developing intelligence actions using drones; providing visible policing throughout the port complex.

The approach and access control of workers in the port area are also part of the agents' duties in Santos (Vanessa Rodrigues/ AT)

“The main mission of the Port Authority is to ensure international trade: that cargo moves in and out of the Port smoothly and securely. This aspect of smooth operations consumes most of the corporation's energy. After that comes traffic management, which is a result of the first mission, and the policing aspect is much less prominent, mainly because we are focused on prevention”, Almeida lists.

Cameras and drones

Technology is present at the Control, Communication, Operation and Monitoring Center (CCCOM), inaugurated in 2007. There are 800 cameras, with 600 being owned by the Port Authority and others shared from terminals and the City of Santos through technical cooperation agreements. Similar agreements have been made with Ecovias, the operator of the Anchieta-Imigrantes System (SAI), and another agreement with the Federal Highway Police (PRF) will be signed soon.

“There is also a no-fly zone for drones over the Port of Santos, similar to what is in place at airports and prisons. The Air Force only authorizes drone flights if the Port Authority permits it. This has been a significant advancement. We are also acquiring a drone signal identification and blocking system”, details the superintendent.

Future and legislation

According to the superintendent, the future of the Port Authority involves a more suitable legislation that aligns with the scale of the Port of Santos. Almeida points out that the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) is working on revising a regulation that governs the operations of port authorities across Brazil.

“The differences between ports are very significant, but currently there is only one set of guidelines for all port complexes. Here, we would need about 400 personnel to handle everything, while there are ports with facilities for only two ships, with just one entry and exit and no public roads. These disparities hinder Santos”, he comments.

It is worth noting that the public competition held in June for various roles included 67 positions for port guards. In the meantime, Almeida celebrates the achievements.

“The Port of Santos represents 20% of the municipal island area of Santos. That is a large number. If you take the crime records from all the police stations in Santos and the two in Guarujá and add them up, the port complex accounts for only 1.29% of criminal occurrences. This indicates that the work is being done well”.

With a new headquarters, the corporation will have a "headquarters"

The construction of the Santos-Guarujá tunnel will lead to the Port Authority having a new headquarters within the Santos Port Authority (APS) complex on the Right Bank. This is because the buildings housing the corporation’s facilities will be demolished due to the project. The new location has already been determined, according to Superintendent Wagner Pinheiro de Almeida.

The control center currently operating at the headquarters of the Santos Port Authority (APS) in Macuco, with 800 connected cameras. (Vanessa Rodrigues/ AT)

“It will be built where the Mechanics Warehouse used to be, which is currently vacant. It has undergone soil decontamination and is practically reserved for the new headquarters of the Port Authority. The architectural project has been completed, a company will be hired for a basic design, and then the construction will commence. We still need to determine the cost”, he reveals.

Pinheiro considers the new headquarters the realization of a dream because, currently, the Port Authority is scattered across multiple locations. “This makes it difficult to call people together for preliminary meetings or even to share experiences between shifts. Today, this does not happen as we would like due to the physical separation of the supervisor at the Central office (Avenida Rodrigues Alves) and the operational vehicle in Downtown Santos at General Câmara”, he explains.

Departments and sports

The new facility will house the Control, Communication, Operation, and Monitoring Center (CCCOM), the Security Operations Control Center (CCOS), the Superintendency, the accreditation office for access to the Port of Santos, the Right Bank Security Operations Center (COS MD) - which includes the vehicles and the operational sector - and the K-9 unit, which is currently located on the Left Bank of the Port of Santos.

“It will be the Port Authority’s headquarters, with a gym and space for sports activities. We have many guards who practice jiu-jitsu or other martial arts. The idea is to bring everything together in one place - the operational and social sectors - so that everyone can engage in physical activities or martial arts after work, creating a communal space. Having everyone start and end their shifts together, with all the information from the previous period, will be an invaluable gain for the corporation”, the superintendent adds.

The only departments that will not be included in the new headquarters are the Guarujá unit, due to the need for a local center, and the maritime patrol, which is located by the sea at Ponta da Praia in Santos.

Dogs assist in patrolling

The Valongo Park, built on port land ceded to the City of Santos and inaugurated earlier this month, continues to receive support from the Port Authority for surveillance.

“It is a joint effort between the Port Authority, the Municipal Guard, and the Military Police. We have had several meetings because an area that previously had nothing now sees a lot of people moving through it. We plan operations for Valongo Park, regardless of whether there is an event or not. And from what we know, there are already scheduled events through the end of the year, one after another”, says Port Authority Superintendent Wagner Pinheiro de Almeida.

Although the Port Authority’s presence within Valongo Park itself is minimal and focused more on public and service access points and nearby areas, there is a team from the corporation at the site, which hosts the Winter Festival. Two agents, along with their Belgian Malinois dogs, patrolled the area. The dogs are part of the K-9 unit located on the Left Bank of the Port of Santos.

The dog Boomer, handled by Cleiton Santos da Silva, attracted the most attention from children. Initially a bit frightened, the children were soon reassured by the port guard and posed for photos. The dog, aged 7, even lifted his right front paw for an extra touch of fun in the photos. In the background, the dog Hulk, handled by Luiz Roberto Bettoni Filho, observed the activity. In total, the Port Authority has four dogs. In addition to the two featured in the report, there is another Belgian Malinois and a Border Collie.

The superintendent explains that the dogs serve both oversight roles, such as inspecting supplies delivered to cruise and cargo ships, and educational purposes, including school and community demonstrations.

“We have specialized staff for training these dogs. Their primary role is preventive, especially concerning onboard consumption. They conduct public wharf patrols with preventive rounds, similar to what the regular vehicles do. They also provide substantial support to the Federal Police and Customs in case of any intelligence data or risk analysis on specific cargo”, he says.

Thermal cameras to monitor access channel

This year, the Port Authority plans to install 20 thermal cameras for monitoring the entire access channel of the Port of Santos. The equipment will primarily be used to identify heat sources, especially at night, to detect hidden individuals. Currently, one of the two drones owned by the corporation is equipped with this technology.

“It is an enormous technological leap. The purchase process is already underway. The idea is to strategically place these 20 cameras to cover the entire channel of the Port. Initially, these cameras will enable detailed technical monitoring of the port’s access channel”, says Port Authority Superintendent Wagner Pinheiro de Almeida.

The process for acquiring the cameras has been lengthy, lasting a year and a half, not only because they are imported but also because they require Army authorization, as they are considered defense equipment. “We are in a very advanced stage of the process, close to reaping the benefits. We have already received authorization from the Army. It is not an easy task; it requires extensive documentation”, he assures.