By Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro.
July 29, 2009

I'm not sure I've ever had so many emails about one story. The story in question is a piece I wrote, while dressed in the silly blue helment above, for today's Guardian about the growing number of female cops fighting Rio's war on drugs.

The story focuses on Inspector Fabiane de Mello, from Rio's anti-weapons squad, Drae, who is one of a number of women now battling crime in Rio. My inbox has been filling up all day with emails about the story; from men, women, journalists, human rights activists and cops alike. For a change, all of the emails have been positive.

But not everybody is happy, alas. Here's what one grump wrote on the security blog of one Rio newspaper about the story. "To please feminists and feminism and in order to do well in the elections, our politicians allow something serious like public security be treated like a clothes boutique in Rio's south [beach] zone," writes a very snotty sounding 'Hudson'. I would like to see him say that to Inspector de Mello's face.