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July 06, 2009

Curbing Mexico’s Violence Requires Unique Effort, Say UT Professors

In Mexico incidents of drug cartel-fueled homicide, kidnappings and violence are increasingly common, as are political promises of reforming the corrupt police forces. But, reforming law enforcement and effectively combating the drug cartels is not going to work without both a “top-down” and “grass-roots” effort, according to two University of Tampa researchers. As part of their continuing research, criminology professors Tony LaRose and Sean Maddan found overwhelmingly that Mexican citizens feel combating the drug cartels should be Mexican law enforcement’s top priority. However, due to the pervasiveness of corruption in law enforcement, and the feeble, misguided attempts at reform, Mexico has ushered in an era of no public trust in law enforcement and pervasive violence “with no consequence.”  “In essence, Mexico needs its own professional era in which government authorities and citizens substantively address the past entrenchment of institutional corruption,” at both the federal and municipal levels, the researchers state in the report. Mexico and its citizens are clamoring for solutions. LaRose and Maddan’s answer is three-fold:

In Mexico incidents of drug cartel-fueled homicide, kidnappings and violence are increasingly common, as are political promises of reforming the corrupt police forces.
 
But, reforming law enforcement and effectively combating the drug cartels is not going to work without both a “top-down” and “grass-roots” effort, according to two University of Tampa researchers.
 
As part of their continuing research, criminology professors Tony LaRose and Sean Maddan found overwhelmingly that Mexican citizens feel combating the drug cartels should be Mexican law enforcement’s top priority. However, due to the pervasiveness of corruption in law enforcement, and the feeble, misguided attempts at reform, Mexico has ushered in an era of no public trust in law enforcement and pervasive violence “with no consequence.”
 
“In essence, Mexico needs its own professional era in which government authorities and citizens substantively address the past entrenchment of institutional corruption,” at both the federal and municipal levels, the researchers state in the report.
 
Mexico and its citizens are clamoring for solutions. LaRose and Maddan’s answer is three-fold: