This working paper aims at developing and testing a methodology for measuring Organized Crime (hereinafter OC) in a list of selected countries of the Latin American region. This study represents one of the first systematic attempts to obtain reliable and comparable measurement of OC presence and threats in the region.
The outcomes will provide a more comprehensive view on how to measure and to analyze OC today in Latin America, taking into account the regional specificities of this phenomenon. Moreover, creating a valid measurement of OC has relevant policy implications, since valid indicators may improve the effectiveness of government and enforcement actions.
To reach this aim and to partially overcome the problem connected with the data availability, the authors will develop a two-levels methodology.
These scores and composite indicators will be created using a standardized and clear methodology and starting from the conceptual framework presented in a previous working paper written by the authors (Savona, Dugato, & Garofalo, 2012).
Furthermore, the results obtained will be tested in order to assess their validity. The validation of the scores created and composite indicators will produce both an original piece of research and a methodology that could also be transferable and applicable to other contexts.
The countries, selected in coordination with Center of Excellence (CoE), UNODC and INEGI by taking into account data availability, geographic representativeness and local experts’ opinions, are Chile, Colombia and Mexico. For all of them, the national scores will be defined. While, for Mexico only the second level will be reached computing the composite indicators.
In conclusion, it should be reminded that the main aim and focus of this working paper is on the definition of a series of methodological steps that could help countries in analyzing the OC issue starting from the available data. Therefore, the results obtained for the three analyzed countries should be seen as examples of how this methodology works and how the possible outcomes could appear. Clearly, this represents a preliminary stage for defining effective countermeasure and policies and it should be followed by and combined with other analyses on the specific situation of each country that are beyond the scopes of this study. Therefore, this working paper do not aim at giving specific advises or recommendations to the single states, but at providing them with reliable and comparable starting points for discussing, constructing, evaluating and refocusing their efforts against OC.
