ABSTRACT
Police forces in Latin America have experienced multiple processes of limited reforms over recent decades. In most cases, there is a general consensus that police institutions are not well prepared, equipped, or trained to deal with the increasing complexities of the criminal world and the illicit markets that are rapidly developing. This chapter emphasizes the structural limitations of police organizations and the double edge process of militarization and privatization of public security. In a context of high concerns over increasing levels of violence and crime, reforming the police has become a political issue more than a technocratic one, and the way political debate develops signals the boundaries of policy implementation. The chapter defines future directions for policy implementation as well as research on police reform initiatives that would be key to strengthen rule of law in Latin America.
