Andres Oppenheimer
May 23, 2011
On a visit to Mexico, I heard about an interesting idea to help combat the wave of murders, kidnappings and other security problems that is rocking most Latin American countries -- creating independent monitoring groups to scrutinize the police.
In
But now, with the drug-related violence that has left nearly 40,000 deaths over the past five years, Mexicans are desperate for a solution to end the bloodshed. On
Much like similar marches that have taken place in recent years in
But
"There is an international consensus that insecurity and violence are due to many factors that need to be attacked in many ways. But nothing that we do to improve public security will work unless we reform our existing police institutions," he wrote.
Curious about the idea, I asked
Whereas Human Rights Commissions and People's Advocates Offices can only make recommendations, independent police monitoring groups have more investigative powers -- including subpoena powers in many cases -- and more influence to reform police forces, he said.
"The International trend is to strengthen external controls over the police as much as possible," he told me. "
According to leaders of several U.S. police monitoring groups, the secret of their success is that they are not on the payroll of police departments.
In the case of
"Having subpoena power makes an important difference, because we can compel people to answer questions under oath," says
My opinion: In the long run, reducing crime rates in
But none of this will be enough unless countries clean up corruption-ridden police forces. Creating independent police oversight commissions is an idea that
Available at Amazon.com:
At War with the Weather: Managing Large-Scale Risks in a New Era of Catastrophes
- Latin Americans Should Police Their Police
- Ongoing Conflicts You May Not Be Paying Attention To But Should
- Chinese Investors Are Coming to Latin America
- A Bad Idea for Latin American Universities
- Bolivia - Chile Dispute Could Turn Ugly
- The Sacred and the Dead
- Cuba's Regime Buys Time for Aging Leaders
- Time Magazine's List of 100 Most Influential People a Joke
- Power and Politics in an Autonomous Latin America
- Strategic Implications of Osama bin Laden's Death
- Bin Laden's Death and the Implications for Jihadism
- Final Letter to Osama bin Laden
- Justice Has Been Done
- President Obama on Osama Bin Laden
- Bin Laden and the Return of Common Sense
- Osama Bin Laden Dead
- Osama bin Laden Aftermath
- The Future of the Liberal World Order
- New Fears Over Latin American Economies
- Panama's Economy Is Booming, but Institutions Aren't
- Ecuador's Ouster of United States Envoy Is a Sideshow
- Solving Mexico's Jobless Youth Crisis
- The United States Needs a Crusade for Hispanic Students
- As Latinos Go So Goes the United States
- President Obama's 'New Model' of U.S.-Latin American Ties
- Obama Said He Doesn't Mind Criticism on Libya Mission in Latin America
- Obama's Biggest Challenge -- Central America
- Obama's Card in Latin America: Education
- Nicaragua Headed for One-Man Rule -- Again
- Egypt and Tunisia Could Learn From Chile's Transition
- Time for Colombia to Think Big
- Mexico: Cracking Down
- UK - Latin American Relations: Rearranging The Deckchairs
- South American Stock Exchange: The Way to Go
- United States Should Cut Waste in Immigration Budget
- 'Latin American Decade' or Wishful Thinking?
- U.S. Aid Cuts Could Be 'Diplomatic Suicide'
- Peru Faces a New Threat: Complacency
- It Might Be Time to Rebrand It the 'South American Dream'
- Latin America Needs a 'Sputnik Moment'
- 'Egypt Effect' Will Help Chavez -- But Not Much
- Obama's Trip May Lead to United States - Brazil Honeymoon
- Mexico's Gun Supply and the 90 Percent Myth
- United Nations Should Play a Bigger Role in Haiti
- Haiti Teaches Us Lessons in Life
- United States Cuba Travel to Shake Caribbean -- a Bit
- New Congress to Push Obama on Latin America
- Terror War We Ignore is Next Door in Mexico
- Latin America's Economic Bonanza May Be Short-Lived
- South America Enters Middle East Quagmire
- What Haiti Really Needs: A Lot More Trees
- Culture Matters: Real Obstacles to Latin American Development
- Argentina Needs to Face Education Debacle
- South American Diary
- Obama's Pending Assignment: Reconnecting With Hispanics and Latin America
- Spanish Classes Thriving in U.S. Colleges
- Colonialism Still at Heart of Africa's Growing Pains
- The Empty Chair
- North Korea: The World's Problem Child
- Save the North Koreans!
- For Middle East Peace, Israel Must Prepare for Nuclear War
- Iran Nuclear Talks: A Widening Chasm
- A Sordid Dance in Afghanistan
- Holding the Course in Afghanistan
- As New START Debate Rages, Quiet Nuclear Progress With Russia
(C) 2011 Andres Oppenheimer, The Miami Herald Distributed by Tribune Media Services