Former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani to help Rio de Janeiro fight crime before Olympics

Giuliani to help Rio in pre-Olympic crime fight

RIO DE JANEIRO — Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani says Rio de Janeiro can become a safe city before it hosts the 2016 Olympics. And his consulting firm will be paid to offer advice on how to make that happen.

Giuliani visited a slum in Rio on Thursday and praised Rio’s efforts to bring order to the violence-plagued areas where drug traffickers hold sway.

Rio Governor Sergio Cabral says that Giuliani’s consulting firm will be contracted to give security advice. Details of the deal were not disclosed.

Giuliani oversaw a drastic drop in crime in New York during his tenure as mayor from 1994 to 2002. Backers attributed the improvement to his zero-tolerance stance.