Police Force Crisis and State Legitimacy in Mexico


  •  Jerjes Aguirre Ochoa    
  •  Zoe Infante Jimenez    

Abstract

The public security crisis that exists in Mexico has profound roots in the current political situation of the country. The police forces make up a subsystem of the Mexican government that does not function in the interest of society and is a consequence of a political system with grave problems of legitimacy and democratic representation. The case of Michoacán reflects contradictions of a democracy that does not sufficiently transfer the necessary strength to its police forces to maintain order and enforce the law. Police efficiency can only be attained through betterment of the conditions of legitimacy of government, permitting, for example, the reelection of deputies and governors, the improvement of judicial systems, and the involvement of different groups and levels of society in the construction of a more efficient and effective police force.


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