A geografia humana do Centro Histórico de São Cristóvão-SE e a Guarda Civil Municipal

Abstract

The current context of Municipal Civil Guards makes it possible to observe a growing movement toward the creation of these institutions, as exemplified by the Municipal Civil Guard of São Cristóvão (GCMSC), in the state of Sergipe, established in January 2020 through Complementary Law No. 54 and operational since February 2025. In this case study, which focuses on the city’s Historic Center, the concepts of territory, as discussed by Haesbaert (2014; 2020), place, according to Tuan (2013), Oliveira (2014), and Holzer (2014), and community policing, based on Muniz and Melo (2015), Durão (2006), Francisco Filho (2022), and Pona (2010), are examined through a literature review in the field of Human Geography. The objective is to reflect on how the application of these concepts can contribute to the services provided by the GCMSC. For this purpose, the study is organized into three sections: introduction; development (entitled “Concepts of Human Geography and Community Public Security” and divided into three subsections); and final considerations (entitled “Safe Mother City”). It is emphasized that the city, specifically São Francisco Square, which preserves an original colonial urban layout of Portuguese and Spanish influence, has held UNESCO World Heritage status since 2010, bears the title of “Mother City of Sergipe,” as it was founded on January 1, 1590, and is regarded as the fourth oldest city in Brazil.