Rio residents find their own way to tackle gangs as crime dominates Brazil's election

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Crime is the top concern for Brazilians ahead of October’s presidential election, with candidates competing to offer the toughest — and most effective — approach to the deep-seated problem.Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, is seeking to defeat President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with a promise to loosen organized crime’s grip on Brazil, particularly in Rio de Janeiro.After Rio’s deadliest-ever police operation last year, in which more than 120 people were killed, polls indicated that the hard-line policies Sen. Bolsonaro touts are popular. Lula, meanwhile, has argued for a more prominent role of the federal government in the fight against organized crime as well as greater coordination between governmental institutions.But while politicians trade barbs, residents in Rio de Janeiro have been designing their own responses, with ex-traffickers launching podcasts and grieving mothers stepping up to stop youth recruitment.Many residents, community leaders and experts say that the current approach — which favors armed confrontations between police and the groups — is inefficient and often results in indiscriminate loss of life. They're taking o...