You Actually *Can* Protect People from Crime Without Destroying Democracy

This is a variation of a talk that I give a few times per year. (It's usually shorter.) I haven't written it up as a publication yet. The gist: it's perfectly possible to protect people from crime without locking up 3 percent of a country's male population, blowing up civilian boats on the high seas, and dismantling democracy. Long experience in Latin America shows that short-term fixes, especially anything that conflates organized crime groups with insurgents or "terrorists," are a dead end. Most people who study crime and governance agree, in broad terms, on the long-term vision for protecting people. There's no substitute for a functioning security sector with a strong justice system and a high probability that anyone who colludes with organized crime will face accountability. That vision includes extensive oversight, transparency, and a laser focus on suffocating organized crime by severing its corrupt ties to government and other power centers. But that's a long-term solution. People feeling besieged by crime don't have the patience for that. So what can leaders and societies do to make people feel safer in the short term ? The answer isn't as simplistic as "declare a state of emergency and lock up anyone who looks suspicious." Instead, a rights-respecting, democracy-preserving short-term security strategy has many fragments and moving parts. Here is a survey of what it takes. There's no other choice. Constructive comments and suggestions, especially on the "short term" conundrum, are very welcome. Thanks for listening.

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You Actually *Can* Protect People from Crime Without Destroying Democracy is an episode from Talking About Latin America by Adam Isacson.

This episode is 59:01 long.

This episode was published on Dec 17, 2025.

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