New Pacifying Police Unit built in Rio
A 38th Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) opens Friday (May 23) in the Vila Kennedy neighborhood, Rio de Janeiro, following over two months long of police occupation. The UPP will be the third in the west side of the city, and the furthest away from the city center.
According to the state government, the UPP will rely on 250 military police officers to patrol an area comprising a 41,500 population. Besides Vila Kennedy, seven other shantytowns be served by the new UPP.
“Today, we are starting an important community outreach initiative. This area has had serious issues with heavily armed criminals,” said UPP commander Frederico Caldas. He expects that working there will be easier because Vila Kennedy is more urbanized than most shantytowns: “As a result, police will have a greater presence with better results,” he said.
Vila Kennedy was named after US President John Kennedy, because it was built as a low-income neighborhood based on a partnership between the two countries. Besides the name of the president, the community was given a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: New Pacifying Police Unit built in Rio
