Municipal Guards (), also called the Municipal Civil Guards (Guardas Civis Municipais, singular: Municipal Civil Guard), are the security forces of municipalities (cities) of Brazil. They are subordinated to the municipality mayors (prefeitos). Trained as a civilian uniformed agency, the city guards are responsible to protect the municipal properties and installations, according to the Brazilian Federal Constitution. Their patrols are called rondas (rounds) and there are 1,200 municipalities with Municipal Guards with more than 120,000 operatives according with the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. They are treated as police officers by the former president of the IPA (International Police Association) Brazilian section, Mr. George Henry Millard. The former Brazilian Minister of Justice and elected governor of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Mr. Tarso Genro, asked for them to be given more jurisdiction for their operatives, and especially for their official recognition by Brazil as public safety workers. Legal basis The Brazilian Federal Constitution, Title III, Article 144, § (paragraph 8th) defines the mission of The Municipal Guards: And federal law 14022 of 2014. redefining the guards' minimum operating principles. The minimum principles of action of municipal guards are: I - protection of fundamental human rights, the exercise of citizenship and public freedoms; II - preservation of life, reduction of suffering and reduction of losses; III - preventive patrolling; IV - commitment to the social evolution of the community; and "...Protection of goods, services and facilities..." (ipsis literis citation ) Organizing, directing and monitoring vehicle traffic in their territory Ensuring the right of the community to enjoy or use public goods, obeying the legal requirements Protecting the environment and historical, cultural and ecological heritage of the municipality Providing assistance for domestic and foreign tourists Civil Guard The Municipal Civil Guard is a type of municipal civil police which can be created by specific laws of the chamber of the councilmen of the city as an instrument for public security in the city. Its components possess the same prerogatives and legal obligations as the municipality's employees. The GCM, as it is known, can still assist the other agencies of public security, such as: the Federal Police, Federal Road Police, Federal Railroad Police, Civil Police, (including the Superintendence of State Scientific Police Service) and the Military Police including the Corps of Military Firemen. By a "súmula" (Portuguese for "ruling", or stare decisis) of the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the scientific police