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Date: April 25, 2024 Thu
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Results for favelas
19 results foundAuthor: Amnesty International Title: Ending Domestic Violence in Albania: The Next Steps Summary: This report analyses the progress made in addressing domestic violence in Albania over that last three years after the adoption of the Law on Measures against Violence in Family Relations. It concludes that more women now have confidence to report domestic violence to the authorities. Yet, despite the growing number of petitions made for protection orders, the Albanian government needs to take further measures to implement the law and ensure the prevention of, protection from, and prosecution of domestic violence. Details: London: Amnesty International, 2010. 16p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119167 Keywords: Domestic Violence (Albania)FavelasGangsPolice ReformSlumsViolence (Brazil)Violence Against WomenViolent Crime |
Author: Wu, Tiffany Title: Media Narratives of Crime and the Favelas of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro Summary: Brazil’s two largest urban metropolises, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, have traditionally received drastically different treatment on the world stage and in global as well as domestic media. Though the cities differ in terms of geography, historical development, and the roles each plays in the national economy, favelas—lower-income squatter settlements—have arisen in both. This work is a comparative case study of media narratives of crime and criminality in and around São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, employing framing analysis to tease out the representations embedded in domestically produced media. I find that the cities’ favelas are treated very differently, and propose an explanation based on variation in the spatial organization of the favelas: while São Paulo’s favelas are located in the periphery of the city, Rio’s favelas are dispersed throughout, juxtaposed with wealthy neighborhoods. Details: Berkeley, CA: University of California at Berkeley, 2012. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed December 4, 2012 at: http://legalstudies.berkeley.edu/files/2012/05/Wu-Thesis-Final.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Brazil URL: http://legalstudies.berkeley.edu/files/2012/05/Wu-Thesis-Final.pdf Shelf Number: 127116 Keywords: Crime (Brazil)Economics of CrimeFavelasMediaPovertyUrban Areas |
Author: Carvalho, Leandro Title: Living on the Edge: Youth Entry, Career and Exit in Drug-Selling Gangs Summary: We use data from a unique survey of members of drug-trafficking gangs in favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to characterize drug-trafficking jobs and study the selection into gangs, analyzing what distinguishes gang-members from other youth living in favelas. We also estimate wage regressions for gang-members and examine their career path: age at entry, progression within the gangs’ hierarchy, and short- to medium-term outcomes. Individuals from lower socioeconomic background and with no religious affiliation have higher probability of joining a gang, while those with problems at school and early use of drugs join the gang at younger ages. Wages within the gang do not depend on education, but are increasing with experience and involvement in gang-related violence. The two-year mortality rate in the sample of gang-members reaches 20%, with the probability of death increasing with initial involvement in gang violence and with personality traits associated with unruliness. Details: Bonn, Germany: Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), 2013. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: IZA Working Discussion Paper No. 7189: Accessed February 15, 2013 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp7189.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Brazil URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp7189.pdf Shelf Number: 127627 Keywords: Drug OffendersDrug TraffickingFavelasGang ViolencdGangs (Brazil) |
Author: Pint, Bianica Title: Exploring the Emergence of Organized Crime in Rio de Janeiro: An Agent-Based Modeling Approach Summary: This paper focuses on the emergence of criminal activity due to the unmet human needs of those living in Rio's favelas. An agent-based model is developed to explore how human needs, environmental factors, and individual attributes impact state-level behaviors. The emergence of organized crime is observed as "common" criminals turn into gang members. The prevention of conflict requires policies that anticipate responses and avoid conflict. By "re-creating" the current environment, we have the ability to potentially predict the onset of violence where it does not yet exist or understand the source of conflict in those areas already in the midst of violence. Details: Unpublished paper, 2010. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Paper presented at 2010 Second Brazilian Workshop on Social Simulation: Accessed March 7, 2013 at: Year: 2010 Country: Brazil URL: Shelf Number: 127854 Keywords: FavelasOrganized Crime (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)Violent Crime |
Author: Monteiro, Joana Title: Drug Battles and School Achievement: Evidence from Rio de Janeiro's Favelas Summary: This paper examines the effects of armed conficts between drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro's favelas on student achievement. To identify the causal effect of violence on education, we explore variation in violence that occurs across time and space when gangs battle over territories. The evidence indicates that these battles are triggered by factors often exogenous to local socioeconomic conditions, such as the imprisonment or release of a gang leader, betrayals and revenge. Within-school estimates indicate that students from schools exposed to violence score less in math exams. The effect of violence increases with conflict intensity, duration, and proximity to exam dates; and decreases with the distance between the school and the conflict location. There is no evidence that the effect of violence persists for more than one year. Finally, we find that school supply is an important mechanism driving the achievement results; armed conflicts are significantly associated with higher teacher absenteeism, principal turnover, and temporary school closings. Details: Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Institute of Economics: 2013. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper 006: Accessed June 28, 2013 at: http://www.ie.ufrj.br/images/pesquisa/publicacoes/2013/TD_IE_006_2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Brazil URL: http://www.ie.ufrj.br/images/pesquisa/publicacoes/2013/TD_IE_006_2013.pdf Shelf Number: 129191 Keywords: Drug GangsDrug TraffickingDrug ViolenceEducationFavelasPovertySlums (Brazil)Socioeconomic Conditions |
Author: World Bank Title: Bringing the State Back Into the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro: Understanding Changes in Community Life after the UPP Pacification Process Summary: For many years, Rio de Janeiro has held the dubious distinction of being one of the world's most beautiful cities, and at the same time, one of the most dangerous. The city's expansive beaches and five-star hotels sit alongside informal settlements (favelas) spread over the hills where, until recently, murder rates were among the highest in the world. With the rise in the global drug trade in the 1980s, many of Rio's favelas were taken over by drug gangs, who controlled virtually all aspects of economic and social life. Over several decades, the state of Rio de Janeiro tried, and failed, to establish a permanent presence in the favelas - always rolling in with a muscular offensive and, just as abruptly, retreating again. This report is the story of Rio's attempt to break with history and establish a new kind of state presence in its favelas. In 2008, the state government of Rio de Janeiro launched the Police Pacification Units (Unidades de Policia Pacicadora, UPP), with the aim of regaining control of the territories from organized crime, disarming the drug traffic, and enabling the social, economic, and political integration of favelas into the city. This pacification was intended to shift control of the favelas from the drug gangs and militias to the Brazilian state - literally from one day to the next - and provide their residents with the same kind of citizenship rights enjoyed by the rest of the city. This report documents how life in the favelas is changing as a result of the UPP pacification effort, as seen through the eyes of favela residents themselves. Until now, studies of UPP have consisted largely of baseline surveys of quality of life at the entry of UPP or quantitative analyses about changes in crime and real estate prices, based on secondary data. This study aimed to fill gaps in understanding by documenting how the residents have experienced the arrival of UPP, and what they see the "UPP effect" has been. The findings are meant to inform the implementation of UPP as it is rolled out to additional favelas over the next couple of years. The report explores perceptions of change in three main areas: (i) social interactions and community life within the favela, (ii) the relationship of residents with police, and (iii) the integration of the favelas into the broader city in terms of public services, economic opportunities, and removal of stigma. This study used a qualitative, case-study approach and consisted of observations, focus groups, and key informant interviews in four favelas. The fieldwork was conducted between February and October 2011. Among the four favelas selected as case studies, three have received the UPP program at different times: Babilonia/Chapeu Mangueira, 2008; Pavao-Pavaozinho/Cantagalo, 2009; and Borel/ Casa Branca, 2010. The fourth, Manguinhos, had not received an UPP by the time that the fieldwork was carried out and this report was concluded, and back then remained largely under the control of drug gangs, and was therefore included as a control case. Hence, the report will still refer to Manguinhos as the case with no UPP. The case studies were selected to maximize variation in terms of (i) time of entry of UPP (to capture potential changes made in UPP strategy), (ii) geographical and socioeconomic context in which favelas were located (affluent South, middle class and poor North zones), and (iii) prior and current histories with public works projects. Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2012. 136p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 28, 2013 at: Year: 2012 Country: Brazil URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/03/15/000333037_20130315115010/Rendered/PDF/760110ESW0P12300Rio0de0Janeiro02013.pdf Shelf Number: 131400 Keywords: FavelasPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsSlums (Rio de Janeiro)Youth Gangs |
Author: University of Washington. Jackson School of International Studies Title: 2013 Task Force Report: Violent Crime Reduction in Rio de Janeiro Summary: Rio de Janeiro is infamous for violence. In many of the city's large, informal settlements known as favelas, violent drug gangs have ruled with impunity while corrupt police officers contribute to distrust of formal government. The introduction of new Pacifying Police Units (UPP) in 2008 has resulted in impressive progress, but much still remains to be done. The focus of this Task Force is to provide recommendations to ensure that the UPP program continues to be successful. Our recommendations are geared toward furthering UPP integration into communities in a way that 1) preserves the progress that has already been made and 2) ensures permanent change, both within Rio's troubled police force and in "pacified" communities. While much has been accomplished already, the task is far from complete. Each of the policy recommendations presented in the following chapters was prepared for the Public Security Secretary of Rio de Janeiro Jose Beltrame, and is tailored to his position and responsibilities. However, we recognize that a systemic problem cannot be solved by one actor, and real change must come from a combination of efforts on the part of government, NGOs, and community members themselves. The project is loosely divided into two broad sections. The first five chapters address ways internal police policies can be improved to strengthen the ability of UPPs to carry out their community policing mission. Topics include strengthening respect for community policing objectives within the police force, improving working conditions for officers, enhancing community control and involvement with local UPP units, coordinating with other governmental institutions to break the cycle of violence for convicted criminals, and including NGOs and community members in devising training curriculum for officers. The second half involves improving the means by which community upgrading projects and the provision of public services takes place after the UPPs are installed in communities. Topics include instituting a new system for coordinating public service works with ground-level community interests, improving access to healthcare within favelas by involving UPP officers in first-response systems, easing the process of land title formalization, and instituting programs to dissipate tensions between police and youth. Details: Seattle: Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, 2013. 270p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/bitstream/handle/1773/22749/TF%20I%202013%20text.pdf?sequence=2 Year: 2013 Country: Brazil URL: https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/bitstream/handle/1773/22749/TF%20I%202013%20text.pdf?sequence=2 Shelf Number: 129789 Keywords: Community PolicingDrug TraffickingDrug-Related CrimeFavelasGang-Related ViolenceGangsViolenceViolent Crime |
Author: Simmons, Krista Title: The State and Youth Violence:A Socio-Political Approach to Understanding Youth Violence in Rio de Janeiro's Favelas Summary: Drug trafficking has drastically increased levels of violence in Rio de Janeiro since the arrival of the cocaine trade in the early 1980's. The rate of homicides in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1990's and early 2000's marked the city as one of the most violent urban centers in the world. Even today, there is an average of 20 homicides each day in Rio de Janeiro, a city of just under 12,000,000 people. The rate of death as a result of violence and other demographic factors such as an overabundance of male recorded deaths between the ages of 15-24, a deficit of young men, an imbalanced sex ratio, and a rise in youth mortality since the 1980's more closely mirror warzone demographics than those of a city in a modern, stable state such as Brazil. For example, between 1998 and 2000 there were between 2,000 and 5,000 violent deaths, in Yugoslavia, and roughly 11,000 in Angola. In the same period, Rio de Janeiro saw 7,465 citizens die as a result of violence. Of grave concern to children's rights activists has been the accompanying spike in violence against and among children and youth. Deaths by external causes among individuals under 18 years of age in Rio de Janeiro have increased from 8.1% in 1979 to 26.4% in 2002, with violent causes predominating external causes of death increasingly with time. The increased involvement of children in violent drug gangs is reflected in the testimony of local favela dwellers (or favelados), as well as Rio de Janeiro crime statistics. In 1980, there were 110 registered convictions of minors for drug related crime. By 2001, there were 1,584 convictions of minors for drug related crimes: a number shocking, although decreased from a high of 3,211 in 1998. This translates to a 1340% increase in drug related convictions among minors in Rio de Janeiro between 1980 and 2001. It is estimated that 5,000-6,000 children are currently working for drug factions within Rio de Janeiro's favelas (poor shanty towns). The realities faced by youth involved in organized drug violence in Rio de Janeiro are similar to those of child soldiers elsewhere in the world, with whom they share the dynamics of "voluntary" recruitment, a hierarchical structure of orders and punishment, access to and use of firearms and other weapons, kill-or-be-killed surroundings, and involvement in large-scale armed confrontations. Despite the similarities, however, the children of Rio's drug gangs cannot be classified as child soldiers because the drug factions for which they work have no political objectives or desire to replace the state. Furthermore, labeling them child soldiers runs the risk of legitimizing lethal state force against them. However, these children are clearly more than "delinquents." A call for a category all their own has grown in recent years, with Brazilian NGO, Viva Rio, developing a working definition for these children which can be applied in similar circumstances around the world: "Children and Youth in Organized Armed Violence (COAV) - Children and Youth employed or otherwise participating in Organized Armed Violence where there are elements of command structure and power over territory, local population, or resources." Details: Washington, DC: American University, 2010. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: http://auislandora-dev.wrlc.org/islandora/object/0910capstones%3A108 Year: 2010 Country: Brazil URL: http://auislandora-dev.wrlc.org/islandora/object/0910capstones%3A108 Shelf Number: 129786 Keywords: Drug TraffickingDrug-Related ViolenceFavelasHomicidesUrban AreasViolenceViolent CrimeYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Souza Pinheiro, Alvaro de Title: Irregular Warfare: Brazil's Fight Against Criminal Urban Guerrillas Summary: This monograph by Major General Alvaro de Souza Pinheiro contributes to the discussion of urban guerrillas, their impact on society, and the role of the armed forces in countering criminal elements. The rise of urban guerrillas is a result of an evolution in command and control capabilities, weapons, and doctrine that has given them strong influence over the daily lives of citizens living in neighborhoods where government support and control is limited or absent. The favelas (ghettos, slums) of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are ready examples that provide the setting for General Alvaro's monograph. The urban guerrilla, however, is emblematic of a wider-felt problem, not limited to Brazil. What makes General Alvaro's monograph compelling is that this Brazilian story has universal application in many locales that are under-governed and under-supported by constituted authorities. Urban guerrillas flow from a witch's brew of ersatz political doctrine, readily available and powerful weapons, and criminal gangs that typically are financed by the drug trade. Criminal groups like the Red Command (Comando Vermelho-CV) and Third Command have been able to thrive in the favelas because of ineffective policing and lack of government interest. These Brazilian gangs have filled the void with their own form of governance. As General Alvaro indicates herein, criminal urban guerrillas have latched on to revolutionary doctrine, such as the Minimanual of the Urban Guerrilla and the First Capital Command Statute, so as to give political legitimacy to their lawlessness. In fact, these are gangs that terrorize the residents of the favelas, holding them hostage to criminal exploits, while keeping government legitimacy and security in check. As in the United States, when the general welfare of civil society is at risk, the President may call upon the armed forces to aid the police or take control. Under the Brazilian Constitution the President can "intervene -- to put an end to serious jeopardy to public order --" through his power to "decree and enforce federal intervention." This is akin to the U.S. President's authorities for civil disturbances and other emergencies, but a notable difference is the expansive role that Brazilian armed forces can take. Under the Brazilian Constitution the armed forces "are intended for the defense of the Country, for the guarantee of the constitutional powers [legislative, executive, judicial], and, on the initiative of any of these, of law and order." Thus during the crisis to restore public order in Rio de Janeiro in November 1994 through January 1995, the military was put in charge as the lead agency, with operational control over federal and state police. With Presidential authorization, the Brazilian Minister of the Army designated the Eastern Military Commander as the General Commander of Operations. Operation Rio commenced with the goals of reducing urban violence and reestablishing government authority. Operations consisted of isolating lawless areas, conducting squad patrols and large sweeps, and on several occasions, attacking the urban guerrilla directly. The operation suppressed urban guerrilla activity-for a time. There was a decrease in bank robberies, car thefts, gang shootouts, drug trafficking and weapons smuggling, plus some 300 automatic rifles and 500 hand guns were confiscated. Yet as General Alvaro illustrates in this monograph, the problem persists today with similar public order crises in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and other cities. It is for good reason that General Alvaro includes in this monograph a translation of Carlos Marighella's Minimanual of the Urban Guerrilla, since the man and his manual continue to inspire miscreants and would-be revolutionary groups. Much as psychiatrist-philosopher Frantz Fanon provided a rationale for African anticolonialists to kill the white interlopers, Marighella is a symbol for ideological activists who would resist authority, as well as for criminals who profit when government presence and legitimacy are wanting. The military planner and strategist should be familiar with the Minimanual and similar writings since they contribute to the development of the strategic environment as we find it, and it is against this backdrop that we plan for countering insurgencies and terrorism. The military will continue to play an important part in countering the urban guerrilla, whose goal is to separate the population from the government (typically by making government forces overreact) then supplanting it. This suggests that the military will need to conduct a range of irregular warfare activities in coordination with civilian agencies. Whatever the combination of direct and indirect actions that are applied to counter the urban guerrilla, the military planner will be well served to consider General Alvaro's insights about Brazil's Fight Against Criminal Urban Guerrillas. Details: Hurlburt Field, FL: Joint Special Operations University, 2009. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: JSOU Report 09-8: Accessed March 12, 2016 at: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2009/0909_jsou-report-09-8.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Brazil URL: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2009/0909_jsou-report-09-8.pdf Shelf Number: 138195 Keywords: Criminal NetworksDrug TraffickingFavelasGangsOrganized CrimeUrban GuerrillasUrban ViolenceViolent CrimeWeapons Smuggling |
Author: Johnson, Christopher M. Title: "We're from the Favela but "We're Not Favelados": The intersection of race, space, and violence in Northeastern Brazil Summary: In Salvador da Bahia's high crime/violence peripheral neighbourhoods, black youth are perceived as criminals levying high social costs as they attempt to acquire employment, enter university, or political processes. Low-income youth must overcome the reality of violence while simultaneously confronting the support, privileged urban classes have for stricter law enforcement and the clandestine acts of death squads. As youth from these neighbourhoods begin to develop more complex identities some search for alternative peer groups, social networks and social programmes that will guide them to constructive life choices while others consign themselves to options that are more readily available in their communities. Fast money and the ability to participate in the global economy beyond 'passive' engagement draws some youth into crime yet the majority choose other paths. Yet, the majority use their own identities to build constructive and positive lives and avoid involvement with gangs and other violent social groups. Drawing from Brazil's racial debates started by Gilberto Freyre, findings from this research suggest that while identity construction around race is ambiguous, specific markers highlight one's identity making it difficult to escape negative associations with criminality and violence. The discourse surrounding social capital suggests that such individuals can rely on it to overcome these problems. However social capital is used more often as a tool to spatially and socially segregate and consolidate power and opportunity among the powerful and well-connected. That race does not contribute significantly to the debate misses key elements in how social relationships develop and are maintained. This research was conducted over the period of ten months in a peripheral neighbourhood in Salvador through a community social development programme. The study used a mixed qualitative methodology that was part ethnographic examining social networks and protective factors that assist young people at risk from becoming involved in crime or violence. Details: London: London School of Economics and Political Science, 2012. 299p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 26, 2016 at: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/390/ Year: 2012 Country: Brazil URL: http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/390/ Shelf Number: 139161 Keywords: FavelasNeighborhoods and CrimeSlumsSocioeconomics Conditions and CrimeViolenceViolent Crime |
Author: Vandenberg, Layne Title: Police Pacification of Rio de Janeiro Favelas in the Context of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Summary: In 2006, FIFA announced Brazil as the host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. To heighten security measures for the Cup, the Rio de Janeiro state government created the Unidade de Policia Pacificadora (Police Pacification Unit or UPP) to regain territorial control of poor communities - called favelas - that were governed by criminal groups in the government's absence. The UPPs diverge from traditional policing practices as they utilize proximity policing in favelas to create a more permanent presence with the hope of eliminating drug traffickers and generating trusting relationships with the communities they serve. The implementation of the UPP has failed because UPPs decrees conceptualize the program within existing police structures and rely on the same policing methods used in the past. While the UPPs have successfully fulfilled their goal to reduce some forms of lethal violence in favelas, it has been unsuccessful in establishing positive relationships between residents and police that allow for the complete integration of favelas into Rio de Janeiro society. Despite this imperfect and incomplete integration, favela residents have made their voices heard, thus increasing their participation in civil society and opening a necessary social discourse about police expectations and inequality. I argue that the UPPs, although a short-term strategy, must implement stronger institutional organization and social programming to change policing methods and positively impact the favela communities. Details: Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, 2015. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 26, 2016 at: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/112118/laynevdb.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2015 Country: Brazil URL: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/112118/laynevdb.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 139229 Keywords: FavelasNeighborhoods and CrimePolicingSlumsSporting Events |
Author: Berkmann von der Wehl, Candice Title: The Impact the Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) have on Rio de Janeiro's favelas Summary: Historically, many types of public security reform policy have been tried and implemented in Brazil, ranging from demilitarizing the police; new penal codes; strengthening internal accountability systems, and restructuring police forces; but so far, seemingly the most promising and popular approach has been community oriented policing (COP). Leaving behind the more traditional, militaristic styles of policing that dominate police discourse throughout the region of Latin America, COP is a preventive approach based on the idea that society is the first line of defence against crime and insecurity. It focuses on the causes of crime, which can motivate citizens, to engage in police community partnerships, and it attempts to use crime statistics more effectively. The focal points of this paper, therefore, is to investigate community oriented policing in Brazil, known as Unidade de Policia Pacificadora (UPP), and to critically assess its strengths and weaknesses in the context of urban landscapes of Rio de Janeiro in the 21st Century. The paper will seek to compare public security reform critiques, as well as make an in depth analysis of what factors determine the success or failures of police reform endeavours, particularly, those in El Salvador and Brazil. Theses critiques are centred around short term initiatives that fail to identify the main problems inherent with police in Latin America; the international community's requirements for 'democratic police'; and the states' inability to alter the culture of 'non-questioning military hierarchy. Details: Leiden, NETH: Leiden University, 2016. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 27, 2016 at: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/38205/The%20Impact%20the%20Pacifying%20Police%20Units%20have%20on%20Rio%20de%20Janeiro%27s%20favelas.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2016 Country: Brazil URL: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/38205/The%20Impact%20the%20Pacifying%20Police%20Units%20have%20on%20Rio%20de%20Janeiro%27s%20favelas.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 139233 Keywords: FavelasNeighborhoods and CrimePolicingPublic SecuritySlumsViolent Crime |
Author: Magaloni, Beatriz Title: Killing in the Slums: An Impact Evaluation of Police Reform in Rio de Janeiro Summary: This paper evaluates the causal impact of Rio de Janeiro's Pacifying Police Units (UPPs), probably the largest-scale police reform initiative taking place in the developing world. The main goals of the UPPs were: 1) to regain control of territories previously dominated by armed criminal groups; and 2) to improve security for these communities through reduction of lethal violence. In the course of six years, more than 9,000 police officers were permanently assigned to the UPPs, servicing close to half million residents in the city slums (favelas). We are interested in understanding the process through which governments supply a basic public service - the police - in poor urban neighborhoods that have long been abandoned to the arbitrary rule of non-state armed actors. Moreover, our paper documents Rio de Janeiro's painful trajectory of police violence, illuminating some of it major institutional facilitators. Painstakingly geo-coding homicides and police killings from 2005 to 2013, we provide answers to some of the most critical questions about police use of lethal force, including the determinants of variations in who is targeted by police repression and how different strategies for policing the slums have impacted police killings. To evaluate the UPP impact on lethal violence, we use a variety of causal identification strategies that leverage spatial and temporal variation in the introduction of the UPP as well as geo-referenced data of more than 22,000 incidents of lethal violence. Our empirical models reveal that the UPP had mixed results. The introduction of the UPPs did not play a significant role in reducing murders in the favelas that were pacified. The UPP's failure to reduce homicides imply that the poor in the slums continue to be subject to two or three times higher murder rates than the white middle class. Nonetheless, the UPP is breaking long-held practices of extreme use of police lethal violence. Our empirical results convincingly demonstrate that police killings would have been 60 percent larger without the UPP intervention. Details: Stanford, CA: Stanford University, Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), 2015. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: CDDRL Working Paper: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/cddrl_working_paper_dec15_rio.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Brazil URL: http://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/cddrl_working_paper_dec15_rio.pdf Shelf Number: 139326 Keywords: Deadly ForceDrug TraffickingFavelasGang ViolenceHomicidesPacifying Police UnitsPolice ReformPolice Use of ForceSlums |
Author: Richardson, Lydia Title: Armed violence and poverty in Brazil: A case study of Rio de Janeiro and assessment of Viva Rio for the Armed Violence and Poverty Initiative Summary: This report is the result of an 11-day visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in September 2004. Wider research and information were used to complement the stakeholder interviews held during this period. The objectives of the study were to: - Contribute to the UK Government Department for International Development- (DFID) funded Armed Violence and Poverty Initiative (AVPI) global research study on the links between armed violence and poverty. - Contribute to the AVPI global study on assessing and reviewing the impact of small arms and light weapons (SALW) projects on small arms availability/misuse and poverty. - Support the case study organisation (Viva Rio) with its internal reflection on strategy and impact. Causes of violence in Rio de Janeiro are multi-faceted. High levels of inequality and physical, social and economic exclusion from the formal system are some of the principle causes. This combines with cultural factors such as machismo and the draw of perceived higher social status and identity through joining gangs. The availability of guns, cocaine and the marijuana industry exacerbates the problem. The lack of an integrated public security strategy coupled with a violent and corrupt police, and a judiciary and prison system which is ineffective, are also contributing factors. The political and economic history of Brazil has played a part: the transition from dictatorship to democracy; rapid and unplanned urbanization; and shifts in labour market requirements to higher skill levels to meet new demands, resulting in high unemployment and frustration felt by those with some education but insufficient to secure a job in the formal economy. Perpetrators and victims of armed violence in Rio de Janeiro are primarily the police, drug traffickers (mainly young men of 14-29 years old), and civilians caught in the crossfire. Favelas are the main locations of gun violence but criminal violence does occur in other parts of the city. The principle type of armed violence is organised drug gang fighting for territorial control; police use of arms; armed robbery and petty crime. Details: Bradford, UK: University of Bradford, Centre for International Cooperation and Security, 2005. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 6, 2016 at: http://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:8080/bitstream/handle/10454/1000/AVPI_Rio_de_Janeiro.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2005 Country: Brazil URL: http://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:8080/bitstream/handle/10454/1000/AVPI_Rio_de_Janeiro.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 140028 Keywords: Armed ViolenceDrug-Related ViolenceFavelasGun-Related ViolenceJuvenile GangsPovertySocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeViolent Crime |
Author: Hume, Mo Title: Armed violence and poverty in El Salvador: A mini case study for the Armed Violence and Poverty Initiative Summary: One of the most powerful conflicts to affect Central America in the 1980s was that in El Salvador (1980-1992), resulting in the death of more than 80,000 citizens. This report on El Salvador is one of 13 case studies (all of the case studies can be found at www.bradford.ac.uk/cics). This research draws upon secondary data sources including existing research studies, reports and evaluations commissioned by operational agencies, and early warning and survey data where this has been available. These secondary sources have been complemented by interviews with government officers, aid policymakers and practitioners, researchers and members of the local population. The analysis and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or policy of DFID or the UK government Details: Bradford, UK: University of Bradford, Centre for International Cooperation and Security, 2004. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 6, 2016 at: https://core.ac.uk/download/files/10/6001.pdf Year: 2004 Country: El Salvador URL: https://core.ac.uk/download/files/10/6001.pdf Shelf Number: 140019 Keywords: Armed ViolenceDrug-Related ViolenceFavelasGun-Related ViolenceHomicidesJuvenile GangsPovertySocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeViolent Crime |
Author: Calero, Carla Title: The Effects of Youth Training on Risk Behavior: The Role of Non-Cognitive Skills Summary: This paper uses unique experimental data from a youth training program in the Favelas, Brazil, to examine whether youth training programs can prevent treatment recipients from engaging in risk behavior -- i.e., cigarettes, alcohol, and hard drug utilization, as well as witnessing or being a victim of violent crime. Although the program was successful in increasing income, we find that, it only improved risk behavior of the treated individuals with higher levels of non-cognitive skills. Details: Unpublished Paper, 2016. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2746579 Year: 2016 Country: Brazil URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2746579 Shelf Number: 147917 Keywords: At-Risk YouthDelinquency PreventionFavelasTraining Programs |
Author: Biderman, Ciro Title: Pax Monopolista and Crime: The Case of the Emergence of the Primeiro Comando da Capital in Sao Paulo Summary: This paper documents a rare phenomenon: the consequence of the dominance of a single criminal gang in the city of Sao Paulo, the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC). Using unique data to identify entry in geographically well-delimited areas - the Favelas - we explore the timing of the expansion of geographical dominance to estimate the causal impact of its dominance on property and violent crime. Pax Monopolista caused a reduction in violent crime but no impact on property crime. Details: Caracas, Venezuela: Development Bank of Latin America, 2014. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 2014/03: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://scioteca.caf.com/bitstream/handle/123456789/712/paxmonopolista-crime-primeirocomandodacapital-saopaulo.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2014 Country: Brazil URL: http://scioteca.caf.com/bitstream/handle/123456789/712/paxmonopolista-crime-primeirocomandodacapital-saopaulo.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 140365 Keywords: FavelasGang ViolenceGangsProperty CrimeViolent Crime |
Author: Marston, Jerome Francis Title: Parallel Power: Challengers to the Democratic Rule of Law in Rio de Janeiro Brazil from 2000 to 2010 Summary: his thesis seeks to explore how drug cartels achieved de facto sovereign control over the favelas of Rio de Janeiro between 2000 and 2010, effectively preventing the Brazilian state from guaranteeing the rule of law uniformly throughout national territory. It also investigates the extent to which Brazilian citizens have suffered human rights abuses as a result. Drawing on both primary and secondary evidence, I argue that drug cartels gained sovereignty over these enclaves as a combined result of state weakness and cartel strength. The Brazilian state forfeited these territories a century ago, because it was infrastructurally weak to such an extent that it was unable to systematically penetrate them in order to monopolize violence, enforce laws, and provide public services. The cartels, in turn, exploited the favelas as ideal locations for the transport, repackaging, and sale of drugs. Benefiting from the profits of illicit activities, the gangs transformed into well-armed, bellicose organizations that maintained authority over the communities by performing state-like duties. In due course, organized crime amassed sufficient control over the favelas to thwart most state encroachments. Examining the exceptions, I found that the limited police encroachments were largely rights abusive - save those made by the Pacifying Police Units. State weakness and cartel strength have disjointed the rule of law and undermined democracy in Brazil. Details: Boston: Boston College, 2013. 106p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://dlib.bc.edu/islandora/object/bc-ir:101598 Year: 2013 Country: Brazil URL: http://dlib.bc.edu/islandora/object/bc-ir:101598 Shelf Number: 140372 Keywords: FavelasOrganized CrimeRule of Law |
Author: Joseph, Regina Title: Rio and the Reds: The Comando Vermelho, Organized Crime and Brazil's Economic Ascent Summary: Brazil‟s growing status as a potential world power cannot obscure the characteristics of its other reality: that of a country with vast inequalities and high crime rates. The Comando Vermelho, the most prominent organized crime syndicate in Rio de Janeiro, besieges the beauty and charm that attracts tourists to this city. The CV arose not only as a product of the political dictatorship of the seventies, but also of the disenfranchised urban poor crammed into Rio's favela slums. Today, the CV presents a powerful challenge to the State's control of parts of Rio territory. As Brazil‟s soft power projection grows, it is seriously challenged by its capacity to eliminate organized crime. Economic growth is not sufficient to destroy a deeply embedded organization like the CV. In fact, Brazil's success may yet further retrench the CV's activities. Culpability for organized crime cannot be merely limited to the gangs, but must also be shared among the willing consumers, among whom can be found educated and elite members of society, as well as the impoverished and desperate. The Brazilian government needs a top-down response addressing the schism between rich and poor. However, Brazil's citizens must also take responsibility and forge a bottom-up response to the drug- and corruption-riddled elements of its most respected members of society. Brazil must target reform across public health, housing, education and above all, law enforcement. Without such changes, Brazil will remain a two-track democracy. Rio's wealthy will still be able to revel in the city's beauty, albeit from behind armored cars and fortified mansions, while the city's poor will yield-either as victims or perpetrators-to the desperate measures of organized crime. Details: Miami: Florida International University, Western Hemisphere Security Analysis Center, 2011. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Western Hemisphere Security Analysis Center. Paper 36: Student's Paper Series: Accessed October 6, 2016 at: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1035&context=whemsac Year: 2011 Country: Brazil URL: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1035&context=whemsac Shelf Number: 140585 Keywords: FavelasInequalityOrganized CrimePovertySocioeconomic Conditions and Crime |