Ignácio Cano on Police Pacification Units (UPPs) in Rio de Janeiro

Ignácio Cano is a professor and researcher at the Laboratório de Análise da Violência at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. He has been studying public security, violence, police, and society in Rio and Brazil for fifteen years. Rio Radar had the chance to sit down with Professor Cano at his home office recently for a long talk. We didn't have the heart to cut much content, so, as a special feature, we are releasing the content in four installments:

• The Role of Militias
• Corruption & Politics
• UPPs
• Public Security: Past, Present & Future

In this, the third in a four video series, Ignácio offers his thoughts on the Police Pacification Units program (UPPs) that was initiated in Rio de Janeiro in December of 2008. He discusses walking the fine line of encouraging improvements to policing while at the same time retaining a critical eye. As well, he outlines reasonable expectations for the program and decries overly optimistic expectations of the program as being a burden to both the establishment and its civil society critics.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Rio de Janeiro
• UPP
• PMERJ
• public security
• favela
• violence
• UERJ
• Ignácio Cano
• Brazil

[guilhermesazonov]

The old moral problem. This professor sounds like the University of Sao Paulo students other day. The police IS community police. They are relating. They are learning. There IS a systematic attempt to engage the community. What are you talking about???????? I can't stand it...argh

[guilhermesazonov]

Why dont these professors spend a little time praising this wonderful work of UPPs?? spend time bashing, whinning, complaining, criticizing, minimizing, belitting....NOBODY said anything about "magic" or anything liket that. I would invite Mr. Cano to interview the people who live on those communities or favelas and check it out what they say. give the brazilians a brake.