Profound distrust commonly characterizes not only the relationship between citizens and state institutions, but also social, as well as inter- and intra-state relations in Latin America. This impacts the effectiveness and quality of the service provided by state institutions. The degree to which police and judicial reforms are able to generate trust on these fronts is therefore an important yardstick in judging their relevance under varying circumstances of "post-authoritarian rule," but this question is largely ignored in the current literature on policing and reform. From this perspective, Policing Insecurity: Police Reform, Security, and Human Rights in Latin America suggests an agenda of future reforms for the region, drawing and building upon policing reform experiences throughout Latin America, looking at issues such as impunity, professionalization, and community policing, as well as accountability and training of the police.

Niels Uildriks is an international police researcher and consultant.