La Gobernanza de la Seguridad Pública y la Evolución de los Delitos contra la Propiedad en la Sierra y la Amazonía Central del Ecuador

Abstract

Some of the Latin American cities are known for their high crime and insecurity rates, especially because homicide cases are three times the global average. However, Ecuador has one of the lowest murder rates in Latin America, therefore property crimes are the main source of insecurity for its citizens. In that sense, this research article intends to comparatively assess the impact that public security governance has had on the evolution of property crimes in the provinces of Tungurahua, Pastaza and Chimborazo. Based on statistical data collected during the field research and on interviews conducted with key actors, the evidence shows that progress has been made in the consolidation of a system of governance which includes civil society actors through Citizen Security Councils, combined with a proximity and rapid reaction police model, what was possible due to a considerable increase in public investment. However, this paper proofs that these improvements not necessarily have had a positive impact on the evolution of property crime rates, nor in the perception of insecurity nor in the number of complaints across the three provinces.