Within the framework of the EU-funded EUROsociAL II programme, the International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) is carrying out collaborative technical work on the design of a unique community policing model in Mexico. As part of this work a workshop was held last December to provide support and establish some guidelines and a detailed structure for the design of the community policing model in coordination with the Interministerial Commission for the Social Prevention of Violence and Crime, the Sub-Secretariat for Crime Prevention and Citizen Participation - organs of the Secretariat of the Interior -, and other Mexican organisations.

Work plans have been prepared since the launch of the Community Policing Workgroup in 2014 so that the institutions’ demands can be met effectively.

The workshop was led over two days by Dr. Gino Costa, former Minister of State of Peru and an international expert in accompanying governments and political institutions through similar processes.

Other noteworthy participants included Eunice Rendón, Director General of the Interministerial Commission for the Social Prevention of Violence and Crime, as well as other high-level representatives of the Commission, the Sub-Secretariat, the Workgroup, and all the intermediaries of the Federal Police in the 32 federal entities.

The workshop served as a platform for the presentation of some of the most valuable experiences concerning community policing in Mexico and also for the discussion of some of the best Latin American practices, namely those of Colombia and Nicaragua and that carried out by the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) of Rio de Janeiro and by the Peruvian municipal patrol guards.

The IJJO provides technical support to the Sub-Secretariat for Crime Prevention and Citizen Participation and the Interministerial Commission for the Social Prevention of Violence and Crime in the implementation and strengthening of the community policing workgroup. Thus far the work has been focussed on public training and education by means of advice on the design of a training course for the social prevention of violence and crime.

The creation of a community police force was first proposed in 2006 but the project was not launched until 2013. The community police force’s work model is based on increasing the presence of agents on the streets so as to make it easier for them to approach, contact, and communicate with citizens. It also aims to make citizens feel safer and help prevent violence as well as make it easier to detect problem situations that occur in each municipality. Countries such as Colombia, Chile, France, and Spain have seen very positive results from such a system, especially in the fight against organized crime and the dismantling of criminal gangs.

The Mexican government – through the National Security Commission, an organ of the Secretariat of the Interior – is currently redefining its policing model, for which reason in 2014 a need arose for technical assistance on the preparation of a community policing model to help design a policy for the social prevention of violence and crime. The ultimate objective is to decrease risk factors and rates of violence.

Using the guidelines and other support gained from the activities carried out in this field of work, in 2015 the IJJO plans to carry on collaborating with Mexican institutions and especially with the Interministerial Commission, with the objective of progressing to a unique community policing model.

The aim is to continue supporting the progress of institutional development and the comprehensive resolution of the problems that affect citizen security. After the design of the community policing model a workshop is planned for the ratification of and education on the national model, as well as advice on the design of the operational guide for the implementation of the national model for community policing.