ABSTRACT
This entry examines the overlapping problems of crime and police corruption in Central America. We provide a historical overview of the trends in crime and police reform, and assess the problem of corruption at the highest levels of police administration, as well as at the lower levels of daily police–citizen interaction. The Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras face severe problems in terms of crime and police corruption; however, Nicaragua and Panama have had some successes in raising the levels of professionalism of their police forces. While Costa Rica is the region's strongest democracy, it still faces challenges due to the current regional security crisis, and these challenges have weakened the police forces and lead citizens to register less support for the police.
