When it comes to crime, we are easily swayed by false perceptions and information. We lose our wallet to a pickpocket or hear about a mugging in our generally safe neighborhood and immediately assume that we are in the midst of a crime epidemic. We are pushed to anxiety by politicians who peddle exaggerated homicide statistics to prove they are tough on crime; by the … [Read more...] about When Anti-Crime Strategies Reflect Ignorance Rather than Knowledge
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Tougher Sentences: The Key to Fighting Crime in Latin America?
Latin America and the Caribbean is in a punitive mood. The penitentiary population doubled in 17 countries to 1.2 million between 2002 and 2014 as a result of tougher sentencing of criminals and could triple to almost 3.4 million people by 2030. Citizens, meanwhile, demand harsher sentences. In Chile, one of the region's safest countries, a government-sponsored poll released … [Read more...] about Tougher Sentences: The Key to Fighting Crime in Latin America?
How Can Crowdsourcing Help Latin America in the Digital Age?
Suppose you are a government facing various social crises. Traditionally, you might send out teams of government researchers, create government-led commissions, and hire consultancies. You might host public hearings. But you wouldn't bring your problems to the internet "crowd." Over the last 10-15 years, however, governments and non-governmental organizations in both the … [Read more...] about How Can Crowdsourcing Help Latin America in the Digital Age?
Missing Data and the Failing Battle Against Crime
Over one weekend in June, a fierce gun battle between rival drug gangs and the security services spread from the hilly favelas to the shore near Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf Mountain. Cable cars services were suspended and seven people were killed. Still perhaps the biggest shock to Brazilians came three days later when the government released an unflinching report detailing … [Read more...] about Missing Data and the Failing Battle Against Crime
Sports Programs Can Boost Solidarity and Strengthen Societies
Go into any bar or restaurant in Latin America during the World Cup and you'll witness ecstatic fist pumps, shouts and hugs after a goal by the national team. Sports makes for tribal celebration, and the shared experience that occurs when the tribe excels and triumphs can bond even strangers and serve as a powerful social glue. But it's not just true for watching sports. It … [Read more...] about Sports Programs Can Boost Solidarity and Strengthen Societies