Publications
News Reports
For news reports dating back to 2006, please request access to our database in the following link:
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Drug Violence in Mexico
Data and Analysis from 2001-2009
January 2010
David A. Shirk
Mexico closed the decade with an unprecedented level of violence, and a record number of drug-related killings in 2009. In light of the spectacular nature of this violence and the challenge it represents for the Mexican state, it raises serious concerns for the Mexican public, for policy makers, and for Mexico’s neighboring countries. This report provides an overview of the trends found in available data on drug-related killings in Mexico, and offers some brief observations about the causes of violence and the effectiveness of recent efforts to combat organized crime.
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Police and Public Security in Mexico
December 2009
Edited by Robert A. Donnelly and David A. Shirk
In recent years, Mexico has faced a grave public security crisis. From 2006 to 2009, rampant cartel related violence has killed more than 13,000 people, including hundreds of police and military personnel. Given the inability of domestic law enforcement agencies to adequately address these challenges, Mexico has deployed tens of thousands of troops to restore order and combat violent organized crime groups. In addition, Mexican and U.S. officials initiated unprecedented measures to promote cross-border collaboration in law enforcement and security, including the multi-billion dollar Merida Initiative to share responsibilities in fighting the war on drugs. These developments raise a host of questions about the course of Mexican public security and the prospects for strengthening the rule of law. This monograph brings together the works of nine exceptional scholars who present timely analysis of these questions, provide a thorough assessment of Mexico’s principal domestic security challenges, and offer insights on how to tackle them.
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Justiciabarómetro: Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara
Executive Summary English Version, Spanish Version
December 2009
In December, the Justice in Mexico Project released the results of a groundbreaking survey titled Justiciabarómetro: Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara, which was developed in collaboration with the Center for Innovation and Governance at the University of Guadalajara (UdG) and the Western Technical Institute for Higher Learning (ITESO). The survey was implemented by the polling firm Data Opinión Pública y Mercados (DATA-OPM), and represents the largest independent study of a police force ever published in Mexico. Focusing on the Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara (ZMG), one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country (second only to Mexico City), this study surveyed nearly 80% of the 6,873 municipal police officers currently serving the more than 4 million inhabitants of the ZMG. Due to its magnitude, breadth of inquiry, and high level of participation, this study makes a noteworthy contribution to the study of public security issues in Mexico.
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Fact Sheet: Narco-Trafficking and Violence in Mexico
February 19, 2008
Mexico has been affected by high levels of drug violence in recent years, with the largest number of drug-related killings concentrated in three states: Michoacán, Guerrero, and Sinaloa. The Mexican government has responded with the arrest and extradition of high-profile cartel leaders and the deployment of federal troops to troubled states. These efforts destabilized major cartels and led to higher levels of violence in early 2007, as competing cartels, rival factions,and government forces clashed with one another. Drug-related killings declined dramatically in mid-2007, possibly owing to a pact among major cartels.
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Evaluating Accountability and Transparency in Mexico
National, Local, and Comparative Perspectives
Edited by Alejandra Rios Cazares and David A. Shirk
2007
This monograph includes works covering a wide range of topics relating to Mexico’s justice system: effective enforcement of the law, government adherence to the law, and access to justice through law. Government accountability and transparency is the paramount theme in all these papers.
The contributing authors have addressed justice-reform issues such as political corruption, criminal impunity, and inefficient enforcement of the law that routinely challenge Mexican citizens on a daily basis. They have also attempted to promote the aims of greater accountability and transparency in Mexico.
This monograph is the first of three to be published by the Trans-Border Institute (TBI) of the University of San Diego. In 2005, it became the coordination institution for a multiyear “Justice in Mexico” project that is focused on the administration of justice and the rule of law in Mexico.
The project issued a call for papers to both American and Mexican scholars working on a range of topics related to justice-sector reform. The threefold rationale for the project is: (1) the need to decentralize analysis and reform efforts in Mexico; (2) the need for a greater emphasis on best practices; (3) and the need for U.S.-Mexican academic collaboration in the study of justice-sector challenges and reform. This publication of three monographs was made possible through the generous support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
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Reforming the Administration of Justice in Mexico
Edited by: Dr. Wayne A. Cornelius, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, UCSD and Dr. David A. Shirk, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Justice in Mexico Project, USD. University of Notre Dame Press, 2007
This important collection of essays on the Mexican criminal justice system features the works of several Justice in Mexico Project collaborators, including David A. Shirk, Alejandra Ríos Cázares, Guillermo Zepeda Lecuona, Sigrid Arzt and many others.
From the book’s backcover: “This landmark study examines the challenges Mexico faces in reforming the administration of its justice system. The contributors cover five key themes in Mexican justice reform: crime and criminology, policing and police reform, legal actors and judicial reform, civic mobilization and oversight in the justice system, and practical policy recommendations for future improvement of the justice system.”
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