On May 28 and 29, Leme co-organized the 15th Annual Meeting of the AL CAPONE Latin America Crime and Policy Network, held at FGV EBAPE in Rio de Janeiro, in partnership with the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Organized Against Crime, the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA), and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA). The conference brought together researchers and experts from different countries to discuss issues related to organized crime, violence, policing, and public security policies.

The AL CAPONE Latin America Crime and Policy Network is an international academic network dedicated to the production and exchange of knowledge on crime and violence in the region. Its annual meeting brings together peer-reviewed research papers in thematic sessions that combine presentations, expert commentary, and discussions among scholars, creating an environment for debate and the advancement of research focused on public security challenges in Latin America.

Joana Monteiro, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Leme, participated in a session dedicated to migration research. Vinicius Peçanha, Area Lead; Giovanna Ubida, Project Lead; and Laura Schiavon, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder, served as discussants for presentations on drug trafficking, criminal justice, and human capital in conflict settings. Julia Guerra, Director of Projects and Research and Co-Founder, presented a study on the effects of policing interventions on adolescent criminal trajectories in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, while Horacio Larreguy, an affiliated researcher at Leme, presented research on the effects of organized crime on disappearances.

Another highlight of the program was the panel “Researching Mano Dura in Latin America: The State of Evidence, Policy Impacts, and Future Avenues,” which brought together Joana Monteiro, Michael Weintraub, and Carlos Schmidt-Padilla of the University of California, Berkeley, moderated by Ana Clara Telles of the Open Society Foundations. The discussion addressed the current state of evidence on “mano dura” policies in Latin America, their impacts on public security, human rights, and democracy, as well as the challenges of connecting academic research with public policymaking.

The conference also featured the lecture “How Organized Crime Is Organized: Towards a Theory of Urban Criminal Firms & Markets,” delivered by Christopher Blattman, professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Known for his research on violence, organized crime, and development, Blattman discussed the organizational mechanisms of urban criminal groups and reflected on the economic and institutional incentives that shape the dynamics of these illicit markets.

The program also included research presentations and discussions on illicit markets, migration, criminal justice, school violence, human capital in conflict settings, and the impacts of law enforcement and public security policies. Participants included researchers and representatives from institutions such as the University of Chicago, the University of California, Berkeley, Universidad de los Andes, the World Bank, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Universidad del Pacífico, FGV, Insper, and CAF, reinforcing the conference’s international character and its role as a platform for academic exchange on crime, violence, and public policy.