USAID's Franco Advocates Community Policing
As a Growing Component of Development
Increasing violence in areas of Latin America and the Caribbean
(LAC) is having a devastating effect on several local economies,
USAID Assistant Administrator for the LAC region Adolfo Franco
recently announced at a recent conference of the Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
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USAID's Adolfo Franco advocates community
policing at a recent conference by the Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS). |
In response, USAID is implementing community policing programs
that specifically address these concerns, he said.
“Today Latin America is one of the most violent regions
in the world, with crime rates more than double the world
average and comparable to levels in parts of war-torn Africa.
This is taking a tremendous toll on development in the region,”
Franco said.
He added, “Rising crime and lack of personal security
not only lead to instability but also reduce productivity
and discourage private investment flows…Latin America
has found itself caught in a vicious circle, where economic
growth is thwarted by high crime rates and where a lack of
economic opportunity in turn is contributing to a rise in
crime.”
Franco noted that significant strides have been made throughout
the region in the past two years. He noted that democratic
forms of government have replaced authoritarian regimes, civilian
governments have replaced military rule and a wave of decentralized
of authority has increased citizen participation and strengthened
democracy.
More recently, several presidents (e.g. Tony Saca in El Salvador,
Oscar Berger in Guatemala and Álvaro Uribe in Colombia)
have successfully campaigned with a strong anti-crime message.)
Franco described several programs that USAID has implemented
recently to promote community policing. They are summarized
as follows:
El Salvador
USAID has built on the U.S. Department of Justice’s
creation of a national police academy in El Salvador, and
helped the country develop a 911 emergency program, has trained
police and prosecutors, and helped to reorganize local central
records and case management. The initiative has also worked
to reverse the public’s negative perceptions of police
so that El Salvadorans can understand how police can serve
as an ally to protect them.
Jamaica
Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in world and the
highest in the region. In response, USAID initiated a community
policing program in 2001 with support from Jamaica’s
private and public sector as well as the American Chamber
of Commerce. Located in the heart of Kingston’s inner
city, the initiative trains police officers and residents,
has created a police bicycle patrol and established an urban
community police facility that offers services that range
from basic health care to an ATM machine.
Colombia
USAID, with the Colombian National Police and Ministries of
Defense and Interior and Georgetown University, initiated
a “Democratic Security Policy” that attempts to
address security issues at every level. The initiative has
brought together 5,000 governors, mayors, city council presidents,
and police commanders into “observatories” that
help the officials monitor and maintain civil peace. Likewise,
it recruited citizens as active participants and players,
and involves them in work with the public officials.
Guatemala
In support of President Berger’s declaration of law
enforcement and anti-corruption as top priorities, USAID has
launched a community crime prevention plan to support local
police. With at-risk youth as a major target, the initiative
offers alternatives to involvement with gangs. It also has
assisted local police to respond more rapidly to emergency
calls, and helped them to improve community policing skills
and better manage scarce resources.
Franco said all the community policing efforts share the
following four components: a) Investment at the local level;
b) Pooling of resources of the local governments with the
public and private sectors; c) Provide skills training that
are community-based and encourage openness and accountability,
and d) Help political leaders to involve citizens into neighborhood
watch programs that share information and collaborate with
local officials.
“Twenty years ago, the idea of police and citizens
working together in Colombia to make their cities more secure
would have been unthinkable. Similarly cops on bikes in Jamaica
might have been considered comical. And 911 call centers in
El Salvador would have been impossible,” Franco said.
He said that the public perception of police as sources of
corruption is slowly changing throughout the region. He added
that police are more often being perceived as prime components
of reform and that civilian police along with other security
sectors are being seen as both champions and drivers of democratic
development in their countries.
Franco added the programs have been received well in Washington
and that funding for community-based police assistance was
increased in recent appropriations requests.
Franco was the luncheon keynote speaker at a recent CSIS
Conference on “Policing and Security in Latin America:
The Need for Reform.”
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