Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas

Safe Streets, Safe Cities

Reading Time: < 1 minuteAcross Latin America, military-led anticrime strategies are losing ground to newer concepts such as community policing.
Reading Time: < 1 minute

Security and sports: Police patrol Rio de Janeiro’s favelas after Brazil wins the Olympic bid in 2009. Photo: Luis Camacho/AFP/Getty.

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Discussions of sustainable cities tend to focus on environmental goals such as developing eco-friendly architecture, recycling, and improving the resiliency of urban infrastructure systems. But public or citizen security is an equally important aspect of building a sustainable city. Often, it is the issue that tops the list of citizens’ concerns—and with good reason.

Violent drug cartels, extreme poverty and inequality, high unemployment rates for young men, and the illegal trafficking of small arms and light weapons have kept Latin America one of the most violent regions in the world.

Discussions of sustainable cities tend to focus on environmental goals such as developing eco-friendly architecture, recycling, and improving the resiliency of urban infrastructure systems. But public or citizen security is an equally important aspect of building a sustainable city. Often, it is the issue that tops the list of citizens’ concerns—and with good reason…


Tags: Brazil, Citizen Security, Crime and Security, El Salvador, Venezuela
Like what you've read? Subscribe to AQ for more.
Any opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Quarterly or its publishers.
Sign up for our free newsletter