User:Backerman1/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Comando Vermelho

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
(Briefly explain why you chose it, why it matters, and what your preliminary impression of it was.)

I chose this article because Comando Vermelho, or Red Commando, was the topic of one of the course readings this week. Historically, among other reasons Comando Vermelho is important because the gang's rise offers insight into the role of incarceration policy in curbing violent crime. Today, Comando Vermelho remains relevant as Rio remains violent and the gang continues to facilitate international drug trade. My first impression of the article was that it is fairly short and lacks updated statistics: the information on territory controlled by Comando Vermelho is dated to 2008.

Evaluate the article
(Compose a detailed evaluation of the article here, considering each of the key aspects listed above. Consider the guiding questions, and check out the examples of what a useful Wikipedia article evaluation looks like.)

Lead section:

The lead section does a good job basically explaining what CV is, but includes some information that would be better suited in its own section, such as the discussion of organization structure and the 2007 attacks.

Content:

The article lacks robust information on CV's history, its evolution over time, its primary figures, its current practices, or its semi-political nature. The section on women in the CV does not belong in the article, as the article makes an assertion based on a source which does not explicitly draw the same conclusion.

Tone and Balance:

There is no obvious bias in the article. If anything, the article does not engage with or even describe in detail the controversial nature of the decades-long violent conflict between gangs and the police in Rio.

Organization and Writing Quality:

The article is concise and easy to read without any glaring errors. Organizationally, it is somewhat sporadic, with sections seemingly in random order. Additionally, some of the content in the lead section would be better suited in the "structure" section.

Sources and References:

While the article is fairly well-sourced, many of the sources are out of date, and some of the links don't work. In addition, several of the sources are from encyclopedia base-level sources, and not scholarly work. The Grillo book we read for class is not cited.

Images and Media:

There is one photo of the CV logo spray-painted on a wall, with a silhouette of a man holding a gun in the corner. However, this article would benefit from additional photos, including images of favelas where the CV operates, youth at the parties brandishing guns as described in the article, and other images to add context to the article.

Talk Page Discussion:

There are few comments in the talk page, beyond one regarding Comando Vermelho alliances there is nothing of substance. The article is involved in four WikiProjects (Brazil/Government and laws, Crime, Organizations, and Organized Crime), all rated stub-class, low-importance. Such a rating indicates that this article is in need of work.

Overall Impressions:

While better off than articles about related topics and gangs (such as Terceiro Comando), this article is not robust and would benefit from expansion. Strengths include references to the CV involvement in the local music scene, which is fairly well sourced and developed. The article could improve through better and more updated sourcing, a more thorough account of CV history, and better information on the current status of the CV.