For decades, Latin American policing has relied heavily on the “mano dura” (iron fist) approach to combat violence and organized crime. This legacy of policing inspired in militarized approaches, rooted in traditions, and reinforced by narratives such as the war on drugs, has dominated security strategies across the region. These traditional approaches have emphasized mass arrests, operations leading to overreliance on the military, and broad enforcement targeting entire criminal organizations and communities. Yet despite significant investments in these tactics, Latin America continues to experience some of the world’s highest homicide rates, with crime and violence costing the region approximately 3.4 percent of GDP annually.¹

Police can break cycles of violence more reliably with targeted approaches than with broad, one-size-fits-all tactics. Instead of relying on ever larger or more complex investments, precision strategies can direct limited resources, to where they have the greatest impact. In practice, violence is concentrated and driven by a small number of high-risk individuals, this pattern is present in places as different as Honduras, Mexico, Sweden, the United States, and elsewhere, regardless of whether a place is labeled “dangerous.” By focusing on these key actors, coordinating citywide services, and partnering closely with communities, police and civic leaders can deliver measurable reductions in violence while also strengthening legitimacy and trust.

Evidence from interventions worldwide shows a different path forward. Intelligence-led models inspired by focused deterrence have shown success by leveraging precision rather than scope. In Mexico City’s Plateros sector, focused deterrence approaches led to an estimated 58 percent reduction in homicides. Similarly, in Sweden’s Örebro, targeted interventions have disrupted violence cycles while addressing community trust.

These international experiences shed light on a fundamental truth: violence across the world concentrates within small networks of individuals and locations. This concentration creates opportunities for precise, intelligence-
driven interventions that can achieve notable results with fewer resources than traditional wide-cast enforcement. The evidence suggests that Latin American police forces can pivot from draconian, overly punitive, wide-scale tactics to targeted interventions, focused strategically on high-risk individuals, and backed by creative public safety partnerships that engage communities.

In order to access the rest of the article sign in with your IACP or Subscriber credentials.