ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the process of police reform in Latin America from a democratic consolidation perspective that emphasizes accountability and the rule of law. Despite the growing body of criminological literature in the fields of police work and policing debates, policing is a foreign concept in Latin America for most experts on democratic processes and institution building. Most reforms were the result of the politicization of the police, policy disasters, police failures, scandals, and corruption, and combination of legislative changes, imported ideas, and homegrown initiatives. Along with limited efforts to implement a new policing system that addresses violence and crime more effectively, high levels of police autonomy are a standard feature in Latin America. There is a central question regarding the effectiveness of policing in Latin America that has not been resolved in the last decades due to political interference and institutional weaknesses. The chapter concludes with challenges for effective policing developed for fearful societies and unstable political environments.
