Looking the other way? A systematic study of police-gang relationships in Rio de Janeiro

• In Event: WG Organized Crime and Criminal Networks Panel 3. Preventing and policing organized crime

Abstract

A key topic in the study of criminal organisations is the latter’s relationship with law enforcement agencies. While the literature has explored this topic, systematic data collection is still needed, and nowhere more so than in Rio de Janeiro. While this city has been the subject of much attention in the academic literature, the relationship between gangs and police forces has so far been under-researched. This is due to law enforcement agencies’ lack of transparency, as well as to potential personal danger when investigating the topic. This paper presents the results of extensive content analysis of newspaper articles and internal police documents regarding police-gang relationships between 2010 and 2017. The analysis points out to a complex spectrum of arrangements, varying along two main axes: voluntary/forced and occasional/regular. This, along with the fact that police-gang relations in Rio are often managed at a very local level, means that these relationships are extremely variable and context-dependent. At the same time, a categorisation of these arrangements is possible, and their impact is consequential on the resilience of criminal groups.

Author

• Andrea Varsori, University of Huddersfield, UK