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Begin New Search Political Geography South America Author Robert Muggah

1. The Changing Face of Technology Use in Pacified Communities

Author:
Graham Denyer Willis, Robert Muggah, Justin Kossyln, and Felipe Leusin
Publication Date:
02-2014
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Igarapé Institute
Abstract:
An increasing number of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas are confronting two simultaneous pressures for change. The introduction of new technologies and the strategy of police pacification are colliding in tangible ways, forming new centers of power and reinforcing others. And this is occurring in an environment marked by escalating suspicion and general mistrust of the police. This Strategic Note is the second of a series and analyzes some of the emerging patterns of information technology use in low-income areas, specifically in relation to resident responses to insecurity and violence. It is possible to detect the rise of ‘technology brokers’ who are curating information. Even so, there is some evidence that the spread of technology is also exacerbating existing anxieties about the preservation of anonymity, particularly when it comes to the sharing of sensitive information.
Topic:
Security, Science and Technology, Violence, Police, and Favelas
Political Geography:
Brazil, South America, and Rio de Janeiro

2. Smarter Policing: Tracking the Influence of New Information Technology in Rio de Janeiro

Author:
Graham Denyer Willis, Robert Muggah, Justin Kosslyn, and Felipe Leusin
Publication Date:
11-2013
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Igarapé Institute
Abstract:
Technological advancements are changing the architecture of police-society relations around the world. New modes of oversight, whether applied by public security entities or citizens, are dramatically transforming the way policing is conducted. This is especially the case in digitally connected cities in the North and South. Surprisingly little is known, however, about how technology can be used to drive reform in police institutions including in Rio de Janeiro, where the relationships between police and residents are characterized by mistrust. A key objective of the Smart Policing project, a partnership of the Igarapé Institute and the Policia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (PMERJ), is to explore ways to enhance police accountability through technology. The following Strategic Note considers how the recently installed pacification police units (Unidades de Policia Pacificadora or UPP) are using technology to recapture urban territory from drug trafficking groups while simultaneously expanding trust and reciprocity with citizens. It examines how technological innovations at the street level, including mobile phone applications, can potentially strengthen the integrity of police work and the social contract.
Topic:
Crime, Science and Technology, Law Enforcement, and Police
Political Geography:
Brazil and South America