Cleaning Up

• Prize
• Photographer
  Sebastiano Tomada, United States

So called “pacifications” were supposed to pave the way for
development of long-neglected areas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's
second-biggest city and a metropolitan area home to 11 million
people, therefore creating The Pacifying Police Unit (Portuguese:
Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora), a military police with the intent of
reestablishing security and diminishing criminality.
The UPPs stand at the center of the security strategy of Rio
governor Sérgio Cabral Filho. The police set up permanent
outposts in the favelas in order to be able to patrol the areas on a
daily basis and be able to quickly respond to the criminal activity
of gangs such as Comando Vermelho and Amigos dos Amigos.
There are now approximately 34 UPPs in Rio controlling more than
100 favelas with hundreds of thousands of residents.
Most Favelas, such as Villa Allianca are still in the hands of an
army of drug dealers and criminals who do not seem to be willing
to step down or be “pacified” by the so called "Sweepers" who are
constantly patrolling the communities ahead of the World Cup and
the upcoming Olympics.

• Awards
  2014: POY_Pictures of The Year International (2nd place general news) 2013: WORLD PRESS PHOTO - 2nd prize General News Story) VISA D'OR AWARD Perpignan (International Humanitarian Red Cross Award) INTERNATIONAL PHOTO AWARDS - 1st prize Photo Essay/Feature Story and 4 honorable mentions NEW YORK PHOTO AWARDS - 1st Prize Documentary Series KONTINENT AWARDS - 1st Prize Documentary Series PDN Faces Editorial Portrait Award AMERICAN PHOTO MAGAZINE Picture of the Year 2012: ITALIAN EMERGING TALENT by ITALIAN/AMERICAN CONSULATE and ASSOCIATION of Fine Arts 2011: 2011 PDN Faces Celebrity/Editorial PortraitsAward NPPA Best Of 2010: PDN Faces NEW YORK PHOTO AWARDS Finalist