Rio de Janeiro police move to regain control of some favelas
ABC News
Some 1,200 police officers have been deployed to Rio de Janeiro’s working-class Jacarezinho neighborhood, marking the start of a state effort seeking to reclaim territory
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Some 1,200 police officers were deployed to Rio de Janeiro’s working-class Jacarezinho neighborhood and its surroundings early Wednesday, marking the start of a state effort seeking to “reclaim territory,” authorities said. It remains unclear how the program will differ from a prior initiative along similar lines.
The operation, which began at dawn, is part of a permanent effort to increase police presence and improve services in at least two favelas, Jacarezinho and Muzema, according to Rio state's Gov. Claúdio Castro. More details will be released on Jan. 22, Castro said on his social media.
“We have started a great process of transformation for the communities in the state of Rio. We spent months developing a program that changes the lives of the population, bringing dignity and opportunity," Castro said. "The operations today are just the start of that change that goes well beyond security.”
On videos shared on the Rio police's official Twitter profile, officers could be seen with their rifles drawn cautiously entering the streets of the vast favela, where the city's deadliest raid took place last May, killing 28 people and injuring several others.
