one of the most important advancements in the recent development of rio de janeiro is the creation and deployment ofthe 'unidade de polícia pacificadora - upp (pacifying police) - a military-like police/peace force aimed specifically at restoring order in rio's favelas.

this special unit was designed and trained to be stationed inside rio's favelas permanently, to implement proper law enforcement and to help improve living conditions both inside and around these challenging districts.

historically, the majority of rio's favelas were facing heavy security issues. they were under the control of armed groups and they offered limited access of law enforcement officers to their territories and jeopardized the safety of local residents by constantly engaging in armed battles with rival groups and with the police.