RESEARCHERS
/Brazil/
DAVID
MARQUES

He is a project coordinator for the Brazilian Forum of Public Security, an NGO composed of investigators and police officers dedicated to promoting accountability in security policies, where he has worked since 2015. He is a Master (2012-2014) and a Doctor (2016-2020) in charge of the Postgraduate Program in Sociology, from the Federal University of São Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Violence and Conflict Management Study Group (GEVAC) of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and a researcher at the Institute for Comparative Studies in Institutional Conflict Management (INCT/InEAC), based at the Fluminense Federal University, in Rio de Janeiro. He has researched and published articles on topics related to the control of crime and violence by institutions in the field of public security and criminal justice in Brazil.

DENNIS
PACHECO

Having earned his Sciences and Humanities’ degree at Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC) in 2019, he is currently a fellow researcher at UFABC’s Human and Social Sciences’ Master of Science Program. Dennis is also a member of its Safety, Violence and Justice Research Group (SEVIJU-UFABC). Pacheco is also a member of the network of alumni of the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). He works as a researcher at the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety’s technical team and has conducted research emphasizing on themes such as police use of force, organized crime, public safety policies and violence against minorities (women, LGBTQIA+, black, and indigenous populations). His topics of interest are: violence against minorities, spatial planning and geostatistics.

Doriam
Borges

Doctor in Sociology from IUPERJ (2009), has a graduate degree in Statistical Sciences from the National School of Statistical Sciences (1998) and a masters degree in Population Studies from the same institution. He was the technical coordinator of research of Life Conditions and Victimization in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. Is the Author of the book  “Fear of Crime in the City of Rio de Janeiro: A analisis about the perspective of the beliefs of danger”. Has experience in areas of violence, criminality and public safety.  Currently, he is an assistant professor of the Department of Social Sciences and collaborating professor of the Program Of Post-Graduate Studies in Social Sciences (PPCIS) of UERJ. He is also a researcher of the Violence Analysis Laboratory (LAV-UERJ) is also coordinator of the extension project of UERJ “QUANTIDADOS”: research and analysis of data.

IGNACIO
CANO

He graduated in Sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid (1985). Besides, he holds a doctorate in Sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid (1991). He did three postdoctoral stays: at the University of Michigan (1994), at the University of Arizona (1995-1996), and Lancaster University (2008).

He is Spanish but has lived in Brazil for more than 20 years. He works as a professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, where he is part of the Violence Analysis Laboratory. He is a reference in studies on lethal violence (homicides), violence prevention, and security. He visited Montevideo as a guest professor of the Public Policies on Crime and Insecurity Course, which is coordinated by the Nucleus of Analysis of Crime and Violence, a research group of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of the Republic.

Among his most recent bibliographical productions are: ROJIDO, Emiliano; Cano, Ignacio. “Los Desafíos Metodológicos de Investigar la Violencia: una mirada desde América Latina. Acta Sociologica”, v. 75, p. 61-85, 2018. CANO, I.; ROJIDO, E.. “Introducción: la singularidad de la violencia letal en América Latina”. REVISTA CIDOB D'AFERS INTERNACIONALS (1985), v. 116, p. 7-24, 2017.

ISABELA
SOBRAL

Having earned her Bachelor in Social Sciences degree at Universidade de São Paulo in 2017, she is currently a Master's student in Public Management and Government at the São Paulo School of Business Administration of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV/EAESP). Isabela is also the supervisor at the Data Department of the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety, having worked on research related to the themes of public safety and violence since 2014. She served as a research assistant at the Center for the Study of Violence at the University of São Paulo (NEV/USP), and at the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning (Cebrap). Her topics of interest are: violence against women, crime statistics and econometrics.

SAMIRA
BUENO NUNES

She is the executive director of the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety, an NGO composed of researchers and police officers dedicated to promoting accountability in security policies. Collaborating researcher at the Center for Studies in Public Administration and Government (CEAPG, by its acronym in Spanish) and the Nucleus of Studies in Organizations and People (NEOP, by its acronym in Spanish), both part of FGV/EAESP.

Samira finished her studies in Social Sciences at the University of Sao Paulo (2006-2010). She is also a Master in Public Administration and Government (2012-2014) from the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and a Doctor in Public Administration and Government (2014-2018) from the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), as well. She has contributed to research and published articles in the following areas: crime and prison (statistics, criminal justice policies, human rights, violence and public security, and police use of force). She is also a columnist on CBN radio in the program Cidade Segura.

In 2017, she won the award Santo Dias of Human Rights from the Legislative Assembly of the State of Sao Paulo. Apart from that, she was selected by the publication "Forces of Change III" of the United Nations Regional Center for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) as one of the 60 women in Latin America who stand out for their fight against disarmament, security, and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

/Chile/
Alejandra
Mohor

Graduate in Sociology and Master in Political Science both from the University of Chile. In her lengthy professional career, with over 15 years of experience in the field of security, police, and justice system, has led it to function as a researcher, advisor, and teacher in various projects and institutions.

Since 2005, she has been linked to the Citizen Security Studies Center of the University of Chile, as coordinator of the Police and Justice System (2005-2010), coordinator of the research area (2014-2019) and currently as associate researcher, participating in a large number of researches and evaluations for governmental institutions, civil society and international cooperation organizations in various Latin American countries.

Withal, she has served as a teacher and instructional designer in multiple educational and vocational training, including classes for such as the National Police of Peru, John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the University of Chile.

Her areas of research are: citizen security, police reform, community policing, prevention of crime and violence, public policies.

Carolina
Benavides Díaz

Graduate in Psychology  from the University of Chile. With a University degree in Terapeutic and preventive interventions in sexual agression and citizen security from the same institute.

Works since 2021 as adjunct researcher at the Study Center of Citizen Security of the Public Relations Institute of the University of Chile, participating in projects of research and evaluation commissioned by governmental and international cooperation organizations, such as: Design and piloting of indicators of local management  to address the consumption of alcohol and other drugs (2021-2022), Monitor of use of lethal force(2021), Study of Public Politics related to the mental health of children and teenagers (2020-2021).

Moreover, She acts as a adjunct pedagogical coordinator at the department of Psychology of the College of Social Science of the University of Chile, upholding the development of the offer of postgraduate programs: Postgraduate degrees in  Terapeutic and preventive interventions in sexual agression and Expertise in Forensics Psychology

Her lines of research include: public politics associated with prevention, legal and forensic psychology, citizen security, criminology, and higher education.

Diego
Piñol

Coordinator of Research at the Citizen Security Studies Center of University of Chile. Sociologist and PHD in Psychology, carried out studies of masters in anthropology and has university degrees in prevention of crime and violence at community level amongst children and youth.

Accomplished more than 50 researches and evaluations of public politics in health, education, prevention of criminality and violence, at the domains of prison and in drug policies.

Ivan
Olivares

He is a Public Administrator from University of Chile. He has specialization courses in penal execution and penitentiary system from University of Chile and in management of software for data analysis from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Works at CESC since 2017 where he has participated in projects of research about public politics  of citizen security, prevention of crime and violence, social reinsertion and justice system, related with identification of good practices in the prevention of crime and violence, evaluation and / or design of prevention programs and social reinsertion, and the analysis of national politics of public safety.

His research interests include social reintegration, crime and violence prevention, politics of citizen security and justice system.

Nicolás
Bravo Correa

He holds a degree in legal and social sciences from the University of Chile and a postgraduate degree in criminology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

In addition, he completed specializations in citizen security politics at the University of Chile and at the Inter-American Development Bank. Professionally, cooperated at the Public Criminal Defender Study Unit, at the city of Santiago and in centers of legislative advice, as a researcher in the subject of internal security. Nowadays, he works as a adjunct researcher for the Citizen Security Study Center and his incipient lines of research run the field of criminal policy, the criminal justice system, human rights and, as appropriate, all regulations concerning the use of force by agents of the State.

/Colombia/
ALEX CAMILO
DURÁN MONTAÑO

Political Scientist, with an emphasis in International Relations and Comparative Politics, from the Universidad de Los Andes. Alex has worked as a consultant, research assistant and professor in the the Universidad de Los Andes, the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Colombo-German Institute for Peace (CAPAZ), the Universidad Militar Nueva Granada and the Colombian Army’s School of Intelligence and Counterintelligence. He is currently a research assistant in the Security and Criminal Policy Area of the Fundación Ideas para la Paz. His research interests focus on security sector governance and reform, international development, peacebuilding and migration.

JERÓNIMO
CASTILLO MUÑOZ

Director of the Security and Criminal Policy Area of the Fundación Ideas para la Paz. Bachelor in Law from the Universidad de Los Andes. Master in Criminology from the Universitat de Barcelona and Doctor in Criminology from Keele University. Jerónimo has developed his career focused on citizen security and the relationship between the private sector and the criminal justice system, working as a researcher and executive in government entities, cooperation organisms and private enterprise.

Jerónimo was Director of Security and Coexistence of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, Director of Criminal and Penitentiary Policy for the Colombian Ministry of Interior and Justice, Manager against Illicit Trade of British American Tobacco and Director of Corporate Affairs for Diageo Colombia. He has taught and supervised research projects in the Universidad Javeriana and the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

His most recent publication is: Castillo, J. et al. (2021). Civilian Leadership and Police Transformation: Recommendations for security governance. Fundación Ideas para la Paz. Bogotá, August 2021.

MANUELA
SUAREZ RUEDA

Economist from the Universidad de Los Andes and Master in Political Science from the same institution. Manuela holds complementary studies in global affairs focused on urban development from New York University and in international conflicts from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Bologna, Italy.

She has experience in data processing for the construction of analyses concerning security environments in conflict zones and organized crime activities. Prior to joining the FIP, she worked as a research assistant for the United Nations Department of Safety and Security in Colombia, and as a researcher in the Center of Security and Drug Studies (CESED) of the Universidad de Los Andes.

She was also linked to the tobacco industry as a cigarette contraband market analyst in the country. Currently, she is a researcher in the Security and Criminal Policy Area of the Fundación Ideas para la Paz, and supports the work of the Colombia Cooperants Group (GruC), currently presided by the German Embassy.

XIOMARA
GIRALDO OCAMPO

Sociologist from the Universidad de Antioquia with complementary formation in peace and coexistence pedagogies. Xiomara has experience in data processing and analysis, and has worked on research projects with an emphasis in urban violence processes, public policies and historical memory reconstruction. She has also worked as a pedagogical advisor to the Corporación Región, in the framework of the Escuelas en Paz strategy in the south of the department of Córdoba. Xiomara participated in the construction of a security perception baseline related to sexual harassment and violence against women in public space, in two communes of Medellín and the township of Altavista, as well as the gathering of data for the measurement of Medellín’s Citizen Participation Index (ICPM). 

/El Salvador/
GABRIELA
COLOCHO

Graduated as a Historian from the University of El Salvador and graduated from the Master's Program in Human Rights and Peace Education at the same university. 

In the last three years she has worked as Coordinator of the Human Rights Research area of the Passionist Social Service, a Salvadoran organization that works on issues related to violence prevention and the culture of peace.

She is currently working on lines of research related to social violence, security policies in El Salvador, police abuses, forced displacement, among others. His research contributions have been published under the authorship of the Passionist Social Service.

MAYA
OLIVARES

Sociocultural anthropologist from the University of El Salvador, specialist in feminist gender studies from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and Fundación Guatemala. 

She has conducted research on security and human rights with ex-combatants of the guerrillas and the armed forces of the political-military conflict in El Salvador. 

She has also conducted research on the sexual and reproductive rights situation of young people in five municipalities in the country, as part of a project financed by the Central American and Mexican Youth Fund (CAMY) and carried out by the COINCIDIR youth network. Currently, she is a research technician for the Human Rights Program of the Passionist Social Service on issues related to citizen security, human rights, social control, public policies.

VERONICA
REYNA

Psychologist with twelve years of experience in issues related to violence prevention, citizen security, gangs, human rights and youth participation. Experienced in the defense of human rights of populations affected by violence, particularly children, adolescents and youth, as well as persons deprived of liberty.  Experienced in the elaboration of reports and research on violence and criminality, security policies and human rights in El Salvador. Currently, director of the Human Rights Program of the Passionist Social Service (SSPAS).

Co-author of Inseguridad y violencia en El Salvador. The impact on the rights of adolescents and youth in the municipality of Mejicanos and of Informe sobre seguridad ciudadana en El Salvador: medición de indicadores 2018-2020. Author of Estudio sobre las políticas de abordaje al fenómeno de las pandillas en El Salvador 1994-2016 and Cuidado en contextos de violencia social. Women caregivers among and in the face of gang and security forces violence in El Salvador. Columnist for the digital newspaper El Faro.

/Jamaica/
Tarik
Weekes

He is a Saint Lucian who presently works in Jamaica as a researcher on crime prevention strategies, peace building techniques and gang reduction projects. Between 2010 and 2012 Weekes worked as a research assistant on the Youth Violence and Organized Crime: Measures and Countermeasures project spearheaded by the Institute of Criminal Justice and Security (ICJS). The University of the West Indies, Mona. Prior to 2010 Weekes was the Coordinator at the Violence Prevention Alliance of the Kingston West Crime Observatory. For the past three years he has been working with other researchers, organizations and law enforcement in trying to understand youth violence and organized crime in select communities in Kingston. Other work and interests include understanding processes that influence crime reversals, peacebuilding and its compatibility with Jamaica and approaches to gang reduction.

/Mexico/
CARLOS
SILVA FORNÉ

He holds a degree in Sociology from the University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay. Moreover, is a Master in Social Sciences from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO, Mexico headquarters) and Doctor in Social Sciences specialized in sociology from El Colegio de México, A.C. He is a full-time tenured researcher at the Institute of Legal Research of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (IIJ-UNAM). Is also part of the Research Line "Rights, Social Conflicts and Politics".

He is a professor in the Sociology Degree of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the UNAM.  His main subjects of study are public security, police use of force, and human rights.

Among his recent publications stand out: “The excessive use of force by Mexico City law enforcement agencies: corruption, normal abuse and other motives” (2016), Mexican Law Review 9 (1), 3-21; “Uso excesivo de la fuerza policial en CDMX” (2019) Estudios Sociológicos 37 (109), 165-193 and "Militarización y uso de la fuerza durante y después de la detención en la población privada de la libertad en México” in co-authorship with Sergio Padilla Oñate (2019), Desacatos. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, Dosier Estudios Policiales, Número 60. He is a member of the National System of Researchers of Mexico, level I.

CATALINA
PÉREZ CORREA

She has a law degree from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM). She is a Master and Doctor in law from the School of Law at Stanford University in California. She is a Research Professor at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE, by its acronym in Spanish). What is more, she is a collaborator of the CIDE Drug Policy Program, and a columnist for the newspaper El Universal. She was the coordinator of the Drug and Law Studies Group for 5 years. In addition, she has been a professor at the UNAM Law School, a researcher at the UNAM Legal Research Institute, and a visiting researcher at the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington DC and the Schell Center for International Human Rights in the School of Law of Yale University, in the United States.

Among her most recent publications are: “Sobredosis Carcelaria y política de drogas en América Latina” (co-author, Sergio Chaparro), published by Dejusticia, Colombia; “Consumo, consumidores y las respuestas estatales en América Latina”, published by Fontamara; “De la detención a la prisión: La justicia penal a examen”, published by the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE).

JOSÉ ENRIQUE
COUTIÑO TREJO

José works on federalism, security and civil-military relations of Mexico. He majored on public policy at CIDE and has a certificate on drug, health, and human rights policy from CIDE too. He has complementary studies on anthropology from Columbia University, and on violence and politics in Latin America and The Caribbean from El Colegio de México.

José is currently working as a research assistant at CIDE in the Programa de Política de Drogas. Where he is developing an investigation on militarized education and its impact on the federalism in Mexico.

/Trinidad y Tobago/
RANDY
SEEPERSAD

Randy Seepersad is a Criminologist and Head of the Criminology Department at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.  Dr. Seepersad holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and an M.Phil. degree from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Seepersad specializes in research methodology and statistics and has a research interest in economic deprivation and crime, gang violence, youth crime and justice, and penology. Dr. Seepersad has published numerous books including Crime and Security in Trinidad and Tobago (2016). He has also published in a number of peer refereed journals including the Caribbean Journal of Criminology, International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, and the Journal of Gang Research

/Venezuela/
KEYMER
ÁVILA

Lawyer graduated Magna cum Laude from the Central University of Venezuela (UCV). He holds a Master's Degree in Criminology, Sociology and Criminal Law from the University of Barcelona (UB). Furthermore, he has postgraduate studies in Criminal and Criminological Sciences, and Government and Public Policies, from the UCV. Researcher at the Institute of Criminal Sciences of the UCV, Professor of Criminology in Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses at the same university.

Collaborator of the Observatory of the Penal System and Human Rights of the UB. He received the Criminal Studies Award "Francisco Tomás y Valiente" and the Extraordinary Award for the Master's Degree in Criminology, Sociology and Criminal Law from the UB. Lines of investigation: Penal systems, dynamic dimension (security, police, criminal investigation, legislation) and static dimension (theories, ideologies and punitive rationalities).

He has published fifteen articles on these topics in specialized refereed journals. He has been invited by the Castilla-La Mancha University (Spain), the Latin American Association of Criminal Law and Criminology (ALPEC), the University of La Matanza (Argentina), the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Ixtlahuaca University College (CUI), the National Institute of Criminal Sciences (INACIPE) (Mexico), the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), the University of San Carlos of Guatemala and the Institute of Development and Research of Law of Cuba in order to present his research work. He has been an advisor to the Public Ministry, the General Police Council and various human rights NGOs in Venezuela, including Amnesty International and Provea. His current analysis can be read in Efecto Cocuyo, Nueva Sociedad and NACLA.