Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) -- Hundreds of striking police officers ended a standoff at a state legislature building in eastern Brazil early Thursday, state media reported.
Nearly 250 officers left the Bahia state legislature in the coastal city of Salvador, the state-run Agencia Brasil reported. They had occupied the building since January 31, demanding higher wages.
Two leaders of the strike were arrested after leaving the building, Agencia Brasil said.
But police said Thursday that their strike would continue, the state news agency reported.
The strike has set off a crime wave in the state, according to local media reports.
Police patrols largely disappeared from the streets, and homicides in the area nearly doubled compared to the same period the year before, the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper said.
Federal officials deployed thousands of troops to the region to rein in the surge in looting and killings.
Salvador is one of Brazil's most violent cities. It will host some of the matches in the 2014 World Cup.
CNN's Shasta Darlington contributed to this report.
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