Public Perceptions of the Police in Mexico: A Case Study

• NCJ Number: 214210
• Journal: Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management Volume: 29 Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 158-175
• Author(s): Ben Brown; Wm Reed Benedict; William V. Wilkinson
• Date Published: 2006
• Length: 18 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In a survey of law school students, this study examined public perceptions of the police in Mexico.

Abstract

Empirical evidence indicates that the police in Mexico are commonly viewed as incompetent, finding that between 70 percent and 80 percent of the students rated the municipal and State police agencies negatively. This shows just how little confidence Mexico’s citizenry has in the police. However, the data were inconsistent with data gathered in the United States which showed that diffuse support for the police was greater than specific support for the police. Future research should assess the diffuse/specific dichotomy of support for the police to better comprehend public perceptions of law enforcement agencies. With ample narrative data to suggest that the Mexican populace views the police negatively, it was necessary and important to gather and analyze quantitative data pertaining to public perceptions of the various police forces in Mexico. This study was designed to actualize this goal. The study, utilizing a survey administered to 303 law school students in Tampico, Tamaulipas assessed the narrative reports suggesting the police in Mexico were viewed negatively; assessed whether there were any significant differences in public perceptions of the municipal, State, and Federal police agencies; assessed the extent the public believed the various police agencies were able to control minor criminal offenses; and assessed whether the public believed that the various police agencies treated people in a fair manner. The study focused on the demographic group which was considered to be the most literate, most amenable to survey research, most able to grasp the protections afforded by anonymous surveys, and most familiar with the different responsibilities of the different police agencies, specifically the students attending the law school. References