Translating Policing in the Global South: The Diffusion of Policing Strategies in Latin America

• In Event: 30662 - Section on Crime, Law, and Deviance Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 3: Policing Issues 2

Abstract

Knowledge production about policing strategies is traditionally centered on the global north, influencing how countries in the global south address crime and violence. In Latin America, high crime rates and police legitimacy concerns have sparked interest in prepackaged solutions. The circulation of policing strategies that have been transferred across contexts is driven by actors who power policy diffusion across governments and police organizations. This study examines the diffusion of two policing strategies–community policing and hotspot policing–in four Latin American countries–Chile, Colombia, Honduras, and Uruguay–between 2000 and 2020. The research question explores how these actors disseminate practices and knowledge regarding both strategies in the case study countries. What are the differences between the diffusion of hotspot policing and community policing across the strategies and countries analyzed?
The study employed a multimethod research design, incorporating qualitative methodologies and data-collection procedures. Specifically, I collected archival data from publicly accessible sources in the form of reports, legislation, and grey literature (n=97). Similarly, I conducted semi-structured interviews (n=67) with law enforcement personnel, government officials, and national and regional experts.
The findings highlight the different positions of the actors within the policing field interacting in the diffusion process based on competition, exchanges, and forms of capital accumulated. The diffusion process also varies in relation to the two policing strategies analyzed. Regional experts were perceived as relevant for community policing because of their capacity to understand domestic context dynamics and better translate the strategy. Conversely, experts from the Global North have emerged as crucial model champions for hotspot policing. This study contributes to conceptual, empirical, and policy debates concerning the circulation of policing practices across different cross-national contexts.

Author

• Felipe Salazar-Tobar, Kennesaw State University