Private police bring order in Brazil

[BCPVP]

WaPo Article

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The Rio das Pedras militia, one of the oldest in the city, was formed in the late 1980s when neighbors banded together to kick out a group of local drug dealers. As the militia evolved, off-duty and retired police officers began taking over its leadership positions. Some residents say that today the militia helps to fill the gap left by the government's inattention to the neighborhood's social needs. For example, its leaders appoint independent mediators to sort out legal disputes among residents who lack ready access to the country's legal system, they said.

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Interesting...

Of course, as with many things, there's another side to the story that's not as nice...
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A scan of the daily newspapers seems to back up that finding. Last week, for example, local newspapers reported that militia members in the favela of Vargem Grande were suspected of killing a real estate agent there. The killing was believed to have been connected to the militia's effort to control land sales in the neighborhood, according to the reports.

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