This report tells the story of the municipality establishing a new kind of state presence in its favelas, when the state government of Rio de Janeiro launched the Police Pacification Units (Unidades de Polícia Pacificadora, UPP) in 2008. it documents how life in the favelas is changing as a result of the UPP pacification effort from the perspective of local residents. 

perceptions of change in three main areas are explored - social interactions and community life within the favela, the relationship of residents with police, and the integration of the favelas into the broader city in terms of public services, economic opportunities, and removal of stigma.

This study used a qualitative, case-study approach utilizing a number of information sources including observations, focus groups and key informant interviews.