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.
At the time of this interview Dr. Luiz Eduardo Soares was the Secretary of Municipal Valuation of Life and Prevention of Nova Iguacu, Rio de Janeiro. He has served in numerous government positions dealing with issues of policing and public safety and in academic positions at various prestigious universities. After completing his Ph.D in Sociology and Political Science and researching and teaching for 15 years at IUPERJ (University Research Institute of Rio de Janeiro), Dr. Soares was appointed to a research position in security policy at ISER (Instituto de Estudos da Religião). In 2003, Dr. Soares became National Secretary of Public Security for Rio de Janeiro. Since occupying this position, he has overseen the implementation of internal police reform programs, such as the UPP and GPAE.
Leoluca Orlando recounts his anti-Mafia efforts throughout his political career, focusing especially on his terms as Mayor of Palermo (1985-1990; 1993-1997; 1997-2000). He begins by explaining the richness of Sicilian identity and the drawbacks to the deeply rooted culture of belonging. As mayor, he aimed to combat the role of the Mafia by addressing these cultural factors. His first step was revitalizing common spaces, such as reopening Palermo’s opera house. Orlando describes the delivery of social services as a second area of reform. Some neighborhoods were completely disconnected from the municipal services and government, a problem rectified through the opening of schools and other services as well as grassroots efforts to expose citizens to the potential of municipal government. In these neighborhoods and throughout the city, Orlando’s administration sought to demonstrate the benefits of a well-run government free from corruption by providing services reliably and maintaining strong commitments, such as delivering all payments within thirty days. Orlando also describes the initiatives aimed at teaching children about the role of government and police, because he believes lasting change requires a shift in mentality and culture, which can only be accomplished if children learn different lessons than their parents might demonstrate. Throughout this interview, Orlando traces his political career and descriptions of his various party alliances and coalitions. Despite his efforts to make his changes sustainable, Orlando expresses concern that his reforms depended too much on him personally.
At the time of this interview, Leoluca Orlando was a member of the Italian Parliament and Speaker of the Italy of Values party, which he co-founded. In Parliament he was on the foreign affairs commission and President of the Inquiry Commission on National Service. He also served as Vice President in Palermo Congress and as Vice-President of ELDR party (European Liberal Democratic and Reform). During his career he has been associated with several parties, including Le Rete (The Net or The Network), which he founded. He served as mayor of Palermo twice, from 1985-1990 and 1993-2000. He is well known for his anti-mafia activities as mayor, and has acted in several films about his work. Early in his career, Orlando served as a legal advisor to Sicilian President Piersanti Mattarella, whose murder in 1980 helped shape Orlando’s life and career. He graduated from University of Palermo, where he also worked as a lawyer and professor of Regional Public Law. Orlando also participates in civil society, including serving as President of the Sicilian Renaissance Institute, and has received numerous awards around the world. On May 22, 2012, Orlando took office for his third term as mayor of Palermo.
When Edi Rama became mayor of Tirana in 2000, he confronted a population that was disillusioned with the way democracy had played out in the capital city. Albania had sunk into a political morass after a brief period of cheer that followed the eastern European country's emergence in the early 1990s from decades of isolation under a Marxist-Leninist dictatorship. But change was in the air at the start of the millennium, as national reforms began with the support of a forward-thinking prime minister. Seizing the moment, Rama aimed to restore public confidence in government by building an administration based on professionalism rather than political connections, sprucing up the drab city, improving services, encouraging citizen complaints and leading open discussions on Tirana's future. He repaired city hall, cleared out public spaces, painted colorless communist-era apartment buildings in bright hues and planted thousands of trees. Although his reforms lost momentum after Albania's leadership changed and he became more deeply involved in national affairs, Rama's accomplishments as mayor demonstrated the value of responsive, participatory government in regaining citizen support and attacking entrenched municipal problems.
Tumi Makgetla drafted this case study based on interviews conducted in Tirana, Albania, in June 2010.