Illegal Police Protection and the Market for Stolen Vehicles in Buenos Aires
Journal
Journal of Latin American Studies
ISSN
0022-216X
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2012
Author(s)
Abstract
In comparison to some illegal enterprises whose operations generate decisive moral rejection on the part of the public, vehicle theft remains an illicit underground activity that citizens largely tolerate or even exploit. In the province of Buenos Aires, the persistence, depth and breadth of transactions related to this black market cannot be explained without referring to the role of the state police. This article uses a theoretical approach to illegal police protection in order to understand the complicity between the police and criminals as fundamental to the market for stolen cars in the province. Using data from in-depth interviews and official documents, the article examines how exactly the police protect thieves, dismantlers and distributors of cars and/or auto parts. It analyses three elements that condition the sale of illegal protection to criminals by the police: threats and selective implementation of penalties; control of consequences; and bureaucratic falsification.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SHSS - Kulturen, Institutionen, Maerkte (KIM)
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Volume
44
Number
4
Start page
679
End page
702
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
262029
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Name
JLAS_44_2012_Dewey.pdf
Size
504.75 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
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