Preferences for Policing Practices and Attitudes Towards the Police

• In Event: The Comparative Politics of the Police

Abstract

In recent years iron-fist policing practices have become widespread in Latin America as a tool to combat crime and to signal police effectiveness. Besides leading to human rights violations, it is well-documented that punitive policing policies trigger more violence and do not reduce crime. Yet, public opinion support for these policies is generalized in many Latin American countries, including among vulnerable populations who are likely to bear the brunt of violent policing. Using experiments embedded in nationally representative public opinion surveys in Brazil and Mexico, this project examines the determinants and consequences of citizen support for punitive policing as a strategy to fight crime. We argue that, contrary to what the literature suggests, citizens’ awareness of the ineffectiveness of punitive policing policies may not result in lower support for these policies, or in lower trust in the police. Due to heightened fear of crime, citizens are more concerned with punishing crime suspects than with the long-term outcomes of punitive policing. However, we expect to find that this effect varies by individuals' education level. Individuals with higher levels of schooling are less likely to support iron-fist policies when they become aware of their ineffectiveness as a long-term solution to crime.

Authors

• Abby B. Cordova, University of Notre Dame

• Lucia Tiscornia, Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas