Trust in the police force is critical to nation building and democratic stability according to a new report from the Vanderbilt University-based Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) which says that the level of trust here is 42.3 out of 100, ahead of the figures in Trinidad and Jamaica.
Released yesterday in the AmericasBarometer Insights: 2011 which is published by LAPOP, the report concluded that with an effective and credible police force citizens are more likely to participate in civic activities and feel safe in their own communities.
“They are also more likely to feel that government is doing an effective job because the police force is one of the most public arms of the government. In countries where trust in the police is low, our research and analysis underscores the
