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Community-based policing in Nicaragua: do the claims of communitarian, proactive and preventative hold true?
[journal article]
Abstract Until the wave of political violence in 2018, the Nicaraguan model for community-based policing (COP) was viewed by many as the means by which the country had avoided the crime and insecurity reported elsewhere in Central America. Paralleling these positive claims, the Nicaraguan National Police hav... view more
Until the wave of political violence in 2018, the Nicaraguan model for community-based policing (COP) was viewed by many as the means by which the country had avoided the crime and insecurity reported elsewhere in Central America. Paralleling these positive claims, the Nicaraguan National Police have emphasized particular characteristics of the COP model as the basis of this success. The Nicaraguan COP model is founded on three ethical pillars i.e. that it is communitarian, proactive and preventative. In this article, we detail the development of the Nicaraguan community-policing model and evaluate its historical and persisting significance as the guarantor of law and order through a critical evaluation of these claims and characteristics. The article demonstrates the abiding significance of the Nicaraguan COP model, and the distinctive nature of its operation. In contrast to prevailing regional trends there is much to learn from policing that emphasizes dialogue with the community over a reliance on technological or strong-arm solutions. However, the article also observes severe challenges regarding its current capacities and its erosion as a result of the pressures of presidential authoritarianism, political corruption and securitization. This erosion of the COP model has negatively affected the conditions of human security in Nicaragua and is a significant factor explaining the character of recent violence.... view less
Keywords
police; criminality; Central America; security; Nicaragua; civil disobedience
Classification
Criminal Sociology, Sociology of Law
Free Keywords
civil unrest; Community-oriented policing; COP
Document language
English
Publication Year
2019
Page/Pages
p. 7-20
Journal
Journal of Human Security, 15 (2019) 2
Issue topic
Community-oriented policing after conflict - emerging perspectives
ISSN
1835-3800
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed