Sharing Best Practices on Witness Protection and Evidence Collection

Sao Paulo

Paul O’Brien at the event organized by the Military Police Internal Affairs Office and the Sao Paulo Secretariat of Justice

Paul O’Brien at the “I International Congress on Criminal Issues”

As relations between the U.S. and Brazil broaden, one area ripe for cooperation is sharing best practices and ideas on improving law enforcement techniques.  In this vein, Director Paul O’Brien from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations visited Sao Paulo and spoke about the U.S. witness protection program and techniques for evidence collection during his keynote address at the “I International Congress on Criminal Issues,” May 26-28.  The Congress was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Consulate General and the Sao Paulo State Prosecutors’ Superior School.

A former prosecutor and U.S. federal attorney, O’Brien made his presentation to a captivated audience of 100 prosecutors, lawyers and judges eager to learn from his expertise and hoping to implement some of our best practices.

During his short stay, Paul O’Brien also participated in an event organized by the Military Police Internal Affairs Office and the Sao Paulo Secretariat of Justice on how to improve investigations in internal affairs and to rid law enforcement bodies of corruption.  The audience of almost 300 internal affairs officers was eager to learn from such a highly regarded expert from the U.S.