In this interview, Dr. Luiz Eduardo Soares discusses police criminality, particularly extrajudicial killings, armed invasions, tortures and disrespect towards the poor, and the ideological and political barriers to police reform in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Initially, he describes the process of reforming Brazil’s state institutions during its transition out of a dictatorship. He addresses issues of political polarization and building consensus around reform projects, institutional disorganization, and community policing. Dr. Soares explains the successes of the UPP (Unidade Pacificadora da Policia) program and the GPAE (Grupamento de Policiamento em Areas Especiais) program in establishing secure neighborhoods and rooting out police corruption. In order to scale up the successes of the experimental peace policing initiatives in several of the favelas, Dr. Soares asserts the need for major institutional reform within the police, which would require significant political support. He also stresses the importance of empirical research methods to address social problems. 

 

Case Study:  Asserting the Presence of the State, One Step at a Time: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2008-2010