Criminality, Public Security, and the Challenge to Democracy in Latin America

“The dramatic rise in reported criminality and citizen insecurity is one of the most often-mentioned yet least researched aspects of contemporary Latin America. This valuable compendium draws on recent empirical data, uneven and incomplete but nonetheless illuminating, as well as on comparative analysis, to discuss the sources and characteristics of crime in Latin America and its impact on democratization, the rule of law and institutional strength. The authors go beyond mere description and denunciation to develop better shared understanding of criminal activity and of how best to combat it. An important contribution.” —Abraham F. Lowenthal, Professor of International Relations, University of Southern California

“This is an important and timely collection of essays. For too long criminology has ignored the political dimension of crime and the implications of privatizing security. This collection, bringing together political scientists, sociologists and criminologists, addresses this critical nexus face-on and offers a coherent set of explanations for the rise of crime and the new forms of security that have emerged in Latin America.” —Federico Varese, Oxford University

“This volume is a solid contribution to the scholarship on crime, security, and democracy in Latin America. Although there are other collections that tackle these or similar issues, this volume offers, for the first time, a combined focus on crime, the police, prisons, and the criminal justice system. As such, it will be of tremendous significance to scholars and students interested in the analysis of crime and public security and their relevance to the challenges that Latin American democracies face.” —Carlos Aguirre, University of Oregon

"This is a very important and timely book, as it deals with the severe problems of high insecurity and crime rates that plague most of Latin America. It has the unique merit of combining careful case studies by highly qualified specialists with a broader theoretical and comparative perspective. This combination allows to highlight the significance of each case jointly with its implications on crucial matters such as the flaws of the rule of law and of most existing democracies in the area. The thoughtful Introduction by the editors and the superb overview provided by co-editor Laurence Whitehead in the Conclusions further add to the value of this volume." —Guillermo O'Donnell, Helen Kellogg Professor (Emeritus), University of Notre Dame

“Contributors to this important and insightful volume agree that Latin American democracies are haunted by the twin specters of rising criminality and widespread public insecurity. Contributors . . . examine, quantitatively and qualitatively, both specific case studies of rising crime, police corruption and shared perceptions of public insecurity.” —Latin American Studies