Police reform and public spending in Mexican states and municipalities (2008-2013)

Abstract

This research reflects on the investment that the Mexican State has made from 2008 to 2013 in public security. It explains the federal programs aimed to the reform of the police institutions of the Mexican states and municipalities. It makes a contribution to the discussion by publishing the amount of federal resources designated to these programs, and highlights the investment by states and municipalities questioning the effectiveness of their use. The policy of police transformation is agreed upon by the different political parties and the governors, and yet different answers are found in the political will to promote reform in some federal entity and municipalities. President Enrique Peña Nieto and the Mexican governors confirmed the desire for continuity of this policy at the meeting of the National Conference of Governors (CONAGO) held in Chihuahua in February 2013, as well as other official documents published by the Mexican administration.