Abstract

ALVARADO MENDOZA, Arturo  and  PADILLA ONATE, Sergio. Police Organization and Institutional Weakness. An Assessment of State Police Capacities. Iztapalapa. Rev. cienc. soc. humanid. [online]. 2021, vol.42, n.90, pp.11-47.  Epub Jan 31, 2021. ISSN 2007-9176.  https://doi.org/10.28928/ri/902021/atc1/alvaradoa/padillaonates.

The article analyses the set of reforms implemented to improve capacities in state police organizations in Mexico on more than a decade. Several studies have examined national security capacity, but little is known related to the role of state governments in the development of an effective public security system. This work contributes to the knowledge with a comparative assessment of state capacities. We build an index and apply a Principal Factor Analysis, with seven variables that account for four processes: Federal-state government relations, expenditure in security, the establishment of professional state police corps and an improvement on citizens’ approval. Results shows strong disparities among states to protect their citizens. Some are still weak and vulnerable while others have made improvements, strengthen their police organizations and enhance responses to citizens.

Keywords : State Police; Capacity; Police Organization; Governors; Governance in Security; México.