Hacer legible a Ciudad Neza: reestatalización del gobierno mediante la reforma policial democrática

Based on an ethnographic review of professional experiences in “democratic security” policies in Mexico (2011-2017), this paper analyzes the appropriation of community policing schemes by certain local authorities. As illustrated by the neighborhood police service in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, this process involves diverse actors such as social scientists and members of civil society organizations, whose co-production of security and citizen participation programs can be aligned with illiberal and, in fact, characteristically state projects –i.e., introducing police intermediation in the clientelist management of services and demands, as well as making the population socially and spatially legible in terms of planned intervention.