Rio de Janeiro police move to regain control of some favelas

By DIANE JEANTET and DIARLEI RODRIGUES
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — 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. It remains unclear how the program will differ from a prior initiative along similar lines. The operation, which began at dawn Wednesday, is part of a permanent effort to increase police presence and improve services in two favelas. More details will be released on Jan. 22, according to Rio state’s Gov. Claúdio Castro. The idea of introducing permanent police units within Rio’s favelas to shore up security and tackle drug trafficking echoes a prior initiative: police pacification units, known as UPPs.