Networks of Criminality: The State and Crime Policy in Contemporary Democracy - Vol. 28 Núm. 2, Julio 2016 - Revista Desafíos - Libros y Revistas - VLEX 648861361

Networks of Criminality: The State and Crime Policy in Contemporary Democracy

AutorMark Ungar
CargoProfessor of Political Science and Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
Páginas299-331
Desafíos, Bogotá (Colombia), (28-II): 299-331, semestre II de 2016
Networks of Criminality:
The State and Crime Policy
in Contemporary Democracy
Mark Ungar*
Article Received: August 30, 2015
Article Accepted: May 23, 2016
Doi: dx.doi.org/10.12804/desaos27.01.2015.06
How to cite this article: Ungar, A. (2016). Networks of criminality: The State and Crime
Policy in Contemporary Democracy. Desafíos, 28(II), 299-331. doi:
Abstract
Why do so many security policies fail in Latin America? This article shows that it
is difcult to uproot criminality because it is an inherent part of the development of
both states and democratic regimes. More specically, it is part of the three main
networks of security providers: the executive branch; the criminal justice system;
and the sector of armed non-state entities. Relations within and between these three
networks reect their own interests and powers rather than public security, undermi-
ning policy from the beginning. This article will apply this analytical framework to
two principal dimensions of public security in Latin America. One is of illegally
trafcked goods, such as narcotics; the specic case study her e is of the trafcking
of rearms. The second dimension is the set of security policies in a country, which
range from iron st crackdowns to community policing. The case study is Honduras,
which has endured nearly every security problem that aficts the region, responding
with policies that failed for 15 years until they began to shift attention toward the
networks of criminality that were obstructing them.
Key words: Criminality, Violence, Police, Democracy, Latin America
* Professor of Political Science and Criminal Justice of the City University of New York.
He is the author of two books on judicial and police reform in Latin America and is works
with the United Nations on security sector reform. E-mail: MUngar@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
300 / Mark Un gar
Desafíos, Bogotá (Colombia), (28-II): 299-331, semestre II de 2016
La Red de Criminalidad: El Estado
y las Políticas de Seguridad en América
Resumen
¿Por qué fracasan muchas políticas criminales en las democracias latinoamericanas?
Este artículo muestra que es difícil de desarraigar la criminalidad porque es un ele-
mento al centro del desarrollo del estado y el régimen democrático. Especícamente, es
parte de las tres redes principales de los proveedores de seguridad: el poder ejecutivo;
el sistema de justicia criminal; y la red de grupos armos no estatales. Las relaciones
dentro de y entre estas redes reejan sus intereses y poderes en vez de la seguridad
pública, entorpeciendo las políticas de seguridad desde el principio. Se aplica este aná-
lisis en dos áreas principales de seguridad pública. Uno es contra un bien (como las
drogas) que una fuente de actividad ilegal; su caso de estudio es el tráco de armas de
fuego. Otra dimensión es la rama de políticas de seguridad nacional, desde la mano
dura hasta la policía comunitaria. El caso del estudio es Honduras, un país que
ha sufrido de todos los problemas de seguridad – con políticas de seguridad que han
fracasado por 15 años, antes de que se cambiara su foco en las redes de criminalidad.
Palabras clave: Crimen, Violencia, Policía, Democracia, Latinoamérica
A Rede de Criminalidade: O Estado
e as Políticas de Segurança na América
Resumo
Porquê fracassam muitas políticas criminais nas democracias latino-americanas? Este
artigo mostra que é difícil de desarraigar a criminalidade porque é um elemento ao
centro do desenvolvimento do estado e o regime democrático. Especicamente, é parte
das três redes principais dos fornecedores de segurança: o poder executivo; o sistema
de justiça criminal; e a rede de grupos armados não estatais. As relações dentro de e
entre estas redes reetem os seus interesses e poderes em vez da insegurança pública,
entorpecendo as políticas de segurança desde o princípio. Aplica-se esta análise em
duas áreas principais de segurança pública. Um é contra um bem (como as drogas)
que uma fonte de atividade ilegal; o seu caso de estudo é o tráco de armas de fogo.
Outra dimensão é a rama de políticas de segurança nacional, desde a mão dura até
a polícia comunitária. O caso do estudo é a Honduras, um país que tem sofrido de
network s of CriMinali ty: the state an d Cr iMe P oliCy in ConteMPo rary d eMoCraCy / 301
Desafíos, Bogotá (Colombia), (28-II): 299-331, semestre II de 2016
todos os problemas de segurança com políticas de segurança que tem fracassado por
15 anos, antes de que se mudara o seu foco nas redes de criminalidade.
Palavras- chave: Crime, Violência, Polícia, Democracia.
Introduction: A New Theoretical Framework
Despite steady economic and political progress, criminality is one of
the few common afictions among the world’s otherwise divergent
regimes. To tackle it, ofcials throughout the world have reformed
their security sectors with more decentralization, judicial oversight,
or community-oriented policing. But even the most carefully craf-
ted change is undermined by obstacles such as public pressure for
short-term results. Scholarship discusses why such impediments make
crime more impervious to reform than most other issues. It has not
yet, however, delved into the deeper malady from which it derives.
Criminality is persistent and ingrained, this article asserts, because it
is rooted in a network of security providers that is intrinsic to state
and regime development. This network responds more to the exchan-
ge of goods – money, information, and power – than to the public
good. The results are not just more crime, but injustice, corruption,
and other ills that fuel it and make it harder for democracies to curb
it. This network has both vertical depth and horizontal spread: it is
woven into the historical development of institutions, and in the
current era has an unprecedented global span.
Drawing on the experience of Latin America and building on two
areas of scholarship –state/regime development and network analy-
sis – this article formulates a theoretical framework to more deeply
explain criminality’s nature, persistence, and resistance to reform.
It argues that because these networks are engrained into the essen-
ce and evolution of the state and regimes, criminality is built into
most of the world’s democracies, which then strug gle to disentan-
gle themselves from it. The rst section of this article outlines this
framework in greater detail. The main components of this network
and framework, described in the second section, are the three main
networks of security providers: ofcials who form security policy;

Para continuar leyendo

Solicita tu prueba

VLEX utiliza cookies de inicio de sesión para aportarte una mejor experiencia de navegación. Si haces click en 'Aceptar' o continúas navegando por esta web consideramos que aceptas nuestra política de cookies. ACEPTAR