1. Department of Public Security
OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security
OAS Department of Public Security

2. OAS Department of Public Security
The OAS DPS is carrying out an evaluation of security in the region, Phase I of which has already been completed.(1)
Project financed by Human Security Policy Division
OAS Department of Public Security

3. 4 consultants, 12 countries
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras.
Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru .
Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Phase II - remaining countries.
OAS Department of Public Security

4. OAS Department of Public Security
The analysis covered …
Standards
Structures
Statistics
Interviews with qualified informers
Regional surveys (Latinobarómetro, Barómetro de las Américas, etc.)
OAS Department of Public Security

5. OAS Department of Public Security
Most pressing problem
Latin America 2007
In your opinion, what is the most pressing problem in the country? Here only the two most important problems in the region.
Most pressing problem: Unemployment
Latin America 1995 – 2007
In your opinion, what is the most pressing problem in the country?
Here only “unemployment, crime, and inflation.”
Unemployment Crime
CRIME
Unemployment Crime Inflation
OAS Department of Public Security

6. OAS Department of Public Security
¿How satisfied are you with the police? 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Guatemala El
Salvador
Honduras
Colombia
Ecuador
Bolivia
Peru
Jamaica
Guyana
Total
Very satisfied
Very dissatisfied
Source: Barómetro de las Américas 2006.
OAS Department of Public Security

7. Do the police protect citizens?
Police involved in crime
Source: Barómetro de las Américas 2006.
OAS Department of Public Security

8. OAS Department of Public Security
Confidence in the police 2006
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% 0%
Peru
Chile
Haiti
Total
Mexico
Bolivia
Brazil
Panama
Uruguay
Guyana
Guatemala
Honduras
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Colombia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Venezuela
Jamaica
Dominican
Republic
None
A lot
Source: Barómetro de las Américas Corresponds to the question: How much confidence do you have in the police? (1: None…7:A lot).
OAS Department of Public Security

9. OAS Department of Public Security
Percentage of prison occupancy, by country – several years
USA
England
Spain
France
Venezuela
Uruguay
Peru
Panama
Nicaragua
Mexico
Honduras
Haiti
Guatemala
El Salvador
Ecuador
Colombia
Chile
Brazil
Argentina 50
100
150
200
Source: King´s College
OAS Department of Public Security

10. OAS Department of Public Security
Percentage of the prison population not yet sentenced, by country, several years
100 80 60 40 20
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Haiti
Peru
USA
Argentina
Colombia
Ecuador
Mexico
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Uruguay
Venezuela
France
Spain
England
Dominican R.
Source: King´s College
OAS Department of Public Security

11. Democracy Insecurity Corruption
LAPOP Latin American Public Opinion Project.
OAS Department of Public Security

12. OAS Department of Public Security
Government improves public security and stable democracy in Latin American and the Caribbean
OAS Department of Public Security

13. The evaluation shows, among other things, … that in most countries …
OAS Department of Public Security

14. OAS Department of Public Security
Organizational structures that belong to another era.
Difficulties with infrastructure and equipment.
In some cases, lack of up-to-date legislation and/or enforcement of public security policies.
The police force lacks modern management tools.
Functions and mandates are not clearly specified (manuals, procedures).
Lack of reliable and systematic information (monitoring, evaluation, and impact measurement) exacerbated by the difficulty of comparing country data.
Downgrading of police work: low wages, low morale, and lack of appreciation for police work, multiple jobs
Major shortcomings in education and training
Obstacles to coordination among the multiple actors in public security and with the judicial system.
OAS Department of Public Security

15. OAS Department of Public Security
Need to train civilians who manage security issues.
Reactive models take precedence over crime prevention policies.
Corruption is an obvious serious problem.
There is talk of decentralization but municipalities lack the necessary resources.
Criminal investigations problems.
Emphasis on crime control and suppression policies, such as increasing the number of police officers.
Exponential increase in prison population resulting in a dysfunctional prison system.
Limited technical capacity of civilians involved in security management.
Increased use of the Armed Forces in police activities.
Increase in the number of complaints of human rights violations.
Lowering of the age for criminal liability of adolescents who break the law, as a solution to the problem of participation of minors in criminal acts.
OAS Department of Public Security

16. OAS Department of Public Security
Private security
OAS Department of Public Security

17. Principal items: Physical surveillance, electronic security,
Increase in the private security industry, by region
(market values).
Region
Market
US$ mn)
(%)
increase
North America
49,200
7 – 8
Europe
37,800
6 – 10
Japan
7,400
7 – 9
Latin America
6,500
9 – 11
Rest of the world
16,200
10 – 12
TOTAL
117,100
Principal items:
Physical surveillance,
electronic security,
armored transportation, services, and residential alarms
Source: Frigo, Edgardo (2006).
OAS Department of Public Security

18. Private security in one country…
Cumulative number of private security firms annually and rate per 100,000 inhabitants
1200
7,00
1000
6,00
5,00
800
4,00
600
3,00
400
2,00
200
1,00
0,00
1968
1982
1990
1995
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Number 1 15 54
163
390
435
487
562
648
758
849
Rate
0,02
0,18
0,56
1,52
3,28
3,58
3,92
4,43
5,00
5,73
6,29
Source: Superintendency of Companies, Ecuador, 2007.
OAS Department of Public Security

19. OAS Department of Public Security
Private security
Lack of regulation, monitoring, and control results in:
A high percentage of companies are not legally established
Companies can hire personnel that public security cannot (background, minimum standards are not complied with, etc.)
The carrying of weapons is not controlled.
Salaries and benefits may not be adequate (As is often the case with police officers, too).
Public security personnel work for private security firms.
OAS Department of Public Security

20. OAS Department of Public Security
In some countries, public security policies often do not include private security, even though there are twice as many security guards as police.
OAS Department of Public Security