A new article published today in Americas Quarterly outlines eight steps that Latin American governments can take to combat criminal activity. The article, written by William Bratton, the former New York City police commissioner and former Los Angeles Police department chief, and William Andrews, a veteran law enforcement expert, emphasizes that “substantial reforms in police departments, in police strategies and in criminal justice practice can have a substantial impact on crime in Latin America.”
William Bratton, who led successful efforts to combat crime in U.S. cities, argues that reforms implemented in the United States can serve as models for Latin America.
Despite the fact that Latin America has more challenging crime problems than the U.S. did—even during the crime peak in the early 1990s—the authors argue that the following general reforms can lead to fundamental security changes: establishment of manageable enforcement units; assignment of quality managers with genuine authority; reform of crime reporting and analysis; development of effective local crime investigation; establishment of effective oversight systems; the building of a career path for rank-and-file police officers; development of explicit use-of-force policies to control police violence; and reforming of criminal justice procedures.
Read the full article.
