Police And State Crime In The Americas

Zusammenfassung: This book advances a much-needed "postcolonial" framework in analyzing the police. It seeks to deepen our understanding of the police's role in maintaining Western global domination throughout the American region despite the violent end of colonial rule. Building on Chevigny's (1995) classic study, this book seeks to draw renewed attention to the role of police in perpetrating state violence and serving as the tip of the spear of state power. It seeks to understand the construction of marginality and the multiple and intersecting structures of colonial domination, before shining a light directly on the crimes of the state, in an attempt to hold criminal state organizations to account. It draws on interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies that center marginalized and colonized experiences and allows for the development of counter colonial knowledge. It speaks to academics and students in criminology, sociology, political science, and law, as well as to ethnic and area studies programs, such as Chicano/Latino and Latin American Studies, and to police administrators and policymakers. Daniel Gascón is Assistant Professor at University of Massachusetts Boston, USA. Sebastian Sclofsky is Assistant Professor at California State University, Stanislaus, USA. Analicia Mejia Mesinas is Assistant Professor at Azusa Pacific University, USA. Xavier Perez is Co-Founder of the Criminology Department at DePaul University, USA. Jhon Sanabria is Executive Director Institute of Public Safety at Universidad Ana G. Méndez (UAGM), Puerto Rico

This book advances a much-needed “postcolonial” framework in analyzing the police. It seeks to deepen our understanding of the police role in maintaining Western global domination throughout the American region despite the violent end of colonial rule. Building on Chevigny's (1995) classic study, this book seeks to draw renewed attention to the role of police in perpetrating state violence and serving as the tip of the spear of state power. It seeks to understand the construction of marginality and the multiple and intersecting structures of colonial domination, before shining a light directly on the crimes of the state, in an attempt to hold criminal state organizations to account. It draws on interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies that center marginalized and colonized experiences and allows for the development of countercolonial knowledge. It speaks to academics and students in criminology, sociology, political science, and law, as well as to ethnic and area studies programs, such as Chicano/Latino and Latin American Studies, and to police administrators and policymakers.

The feeling of insecurity is a little known phenomenon that has been only partially explored by social sciences. However, it has a deep social, cultural and economic impact and may even contribute to define the very structures of the state. In Latin America, fear of crime has become an important stumbling block in the region’s process of democratization. After long spells of dictatorships and civil wars, violence in the region was supposed to be under control yet crime rates have continued to skyrocket and citizens remain fearful. This analytical puzzle has troubled researchers and to date there is no publication which explores this problem. Based on a wealth of cutting edge qualitative and quantitative research, Lucía Dammert proposes a unique theoretical perspective which includes a sociological, criminological and political analysis to understand fear of crime. She describes its linkages to issues such as urban segregation, social attitudes, institutional trust, public policies and authoritarian discourses in Chile’s recent past. Looking beyond Chile, Dammert also includes a regional comparative perspective allowing readers to understand the complex elements underpinning this situation. Fear and Crime in Latin America challenges many assumptions and opens an opportunity to discuss an issue that affects everyone with key societal and personal costs. As crime rates increase and states become even more fragile, fear of crime as a social problem will continue to have an important impact in Latin America.

Can Americans recognize a police state when they see one? Starting with chapters that define and illustrate the concept of "police state," this book shows the fundamental elements of police states and the policies that support them. The remaining chapters spotlight current trends in America that align more with the police state model than with the model of a free society. Topics include public obedience training, disinformation, the "war" rationale for policy change, the federalization of crime and law enforcement, political correctness, government and corporate invasion of privacy, domestic propaganda, and post 9/11 concerns about expansive homeland security programs. Final chapters discuss options for activism and offer reasons for optimism. 549 pages; footnotes; indexed.

Offers timely discussion by attorneys, government officials, policy analysts, and academics from the United States and Latin America of the responses of the state, civil society, and the international community to threats of violence and crime.

"Violent crime in Central America -- particularly in the "northern triangle" of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala -- is reaching breathtaking levels. Murder rates in the region are among the highest in the world. To a certain extent, Central America's predicament is one of geography -- it is sandwiched between some of the world's largest drug producers in South America and the world's largest consumer of illegal drugs, the United States. The region is awash in weapons and gunmen, and high rates of poverty ensure substantial numbers of willing recruits for organized crime syndicates. Weak, underfunded, and sometimes corrupt governments struggle to keep up with the challenge. Though the United States has offered substantial aid to Central American efforts to address criminal violence, it also contributes to the problem through its high levels of drug consumption, relatively relaxed gun control laws, and deportation policies that have sent home more than a million illegal migrants with violent records. This report assesses the causes and consequences of the violence faced by several Central American countries and examines the national, regional, and international efforts intended to curb its worst effects"--Page vii.

This book is a seminal work on the history and sociology of crime in America. The author examines the complex relationship between the police and the communities they serve, and argues that effective law enforcement requires a deep understanding of the social and economic forces that drive criminal behavior. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the criminal justice system. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Legal legend Gerry Spence puts America's Most Wanted - its own law enforcement officers - on trial for rampant abuse of power. When the police become the criminals, the people become the enemy.

Transnational Organized Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean: From Evolving Threats and Responses to Integrated, Adaptive Solutions provides a comprehensive overview of and introduction to transnational organized crime in Latin America for the student and practitioner. It addresses the geography of illicit activities, including relationships between source, transit, and consumption zones, as well as illicit activities beyond narcotrafficking, such as illegal mining, contraband, human smuggling, and money laundering. It applies a typology of cartels, intermediate groups, gangs, and ideological groups to examine specific criminal organizations and the relationships between them. It makes a comparative assessment of government approaches to combatting transnational organized crime in the region, including discussions of interagency coordination, interdiction, targeting of criminal group leaders, the use of the military in law enforcement, law enforcement reform efforts, prison control, and international cooperation. It concludes by applying these thorough analyses to make concrete recommendations for both Latin American and United States policymakers.