early during his gubernatorial term, garotinho made a try at striking a progressive note on his public security policies, based on a think-tank of social researchers - who ghost-wrote garotinho's electoral public security programme - led by the university professor of anthropology and political science luis eduardo soares, who was made assistant secretary of public security. police stations were made internet-friendly, in what was called a program for "legal (cool) stations" ("programa delegacia legal"). however, garotinho eventually dismissed soares in march 2000, which was seen as a serious setback for upholding human rights, according to human rights watch. garotinho insisted that soares' removal was legitimate, but the circumstances suggested that he was removed due to pressure from the rio police, with whose corrupt and violent elements soares had been coming increasingly into conflict. due to allegedly threats received by him and his family, soares went abroad for a time, becoming a "neoexile".