The effects of prevention of crime and violence policy in Mexico

This paper addresses two issues that are key to Mexico’s violence and crime prevention policy. The first part reviews how the prevention policy has been shaped over the past 10 years. In the second, the effects of Mexico’s Programa Nacional de Prevención del Delito (PRONAPRED, National Crime Prevention Programme) is analysed using Propensity Score Matching. Using data at the municipal level and taking the homicide and gun-related injuries rates as output variables, we found that PRONAPRED only significantly affects the homicide rate; however, that effect is the opposite of what is expected. The results of this research show that, in order to achieve the intended results, violence and crime prevention policies in Mexico require significant changes.

Key words: PRONAPRED, Mexico, prevention, crime, violence, evaluation

DOI: doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2017.116.2.101

 >> The full text articles of this issue are available only in Spanish language