The « Democratic » Police as Producer of Social (Dis)Orders: The Cases of Brazil and Mexico
Based on the case studies of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico, and using a microsociological approach, this paper argues that the experience of the so-called democratic police programmes may be different or even contrary to the general image portrayed by public authorities and the media. In the « successful » Mexican and Brazilian cases, undemocratic police practices persist but are made invisible. The first part of this contribution provides a definition of what a « successful » democratic police program would look like, based on the literature. It will focus on the expected practices of such a program and indicators of success. On the other hand, the second part presents the limits of this definition of success, demonstrating that a change of focus reveals the undemocratic underpinnings of police practices.