The validity of the so-called “wild west bonus” in the state of Rio de Janeiro, which rewards police officers who “neutralize criminals”, ended up in court.
State deputy Carlos Minc (PSB) filed a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) against article 21 of State Law No. 11,003/2025.
The law deals with the restructuring of the staff of the State Civil Police Secretariat and was approved on October 22, 2025.
During processing in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Alerj), as a bill, it gained a amendment that determines the award of up to 150% of their salary to police officers who have stood out, among other actions, for the “neutralization of criminals”.
Neutralization is the term that the state government uses in press releases to refer to the death of suspects in police operations.
The inclusion of the article that created the Western bonus was criticized by organizations linked to the defense of human rights, as it was considered an incentive for police lethality.
The Federal Public Defender’s Office (DPU) and the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) consider the text unconstitutional.
After approval at Alerj, the Governor Cláudio Castro even vetoed article 21. But the justification was budgetary.
For Castro, the veto was necessary because the measure created expenses. “The veto seeks to guarantee the balance of public accounts and compliance with the rules that ensure the good management of state resources”, defended the governor at the time.
Overturn of the veto
However, on the 18th, the Alerj deputies decided to overturn the governor’s vetothat is, to make the Western gratification count.
The Direct Unconstitutionality Action was filed on Friday night (26), the day on which the overthrow of the veto was included in the Official State Gazette.
The case was distributed, by lot, to judge Andre Emilio Ribeiro Von Melentovytch.
THE deputy Carlos Minc calls the bonus “insane” and “rewarded extermination”. In addition to the budgetary issue, the process points to a study that associates the bonus with cases of execution.
“20 years ago, I abolished, by law, the Western bonus, based on a study coordinated by the [sociólogo] Ignacio Cano, who showed that in the three years in force, of 3,200 cases of deaths in confrontations, 65% were executions,” he told Brazil Agency.
The practice was in force in Rio de Janeiro from 1995 to 1998 and was suspended by Alerj itself due to reports of extermination.
