Organised transnational crime represents a major threat to countries’ security. In addition, it knows no borders, and for these two reasons, the police have a need to identify the criminal threats they face, not only at the national level but also transnationally. Knowledge of this threat, as well as its analysis, makes it possible for authorities to support their decision-making with regard to the definition and implementation of public policies that effectively combat organised criminal groups.

Based on this premise, last year, EL PAcCTO launched the Threat Assessment and Documentation Instrument in Latin America (IDEAL), based on the European SOCTA model, but adapted to the reality of Latin America. IDEAL enables to understand and evaluate the threats of transnational organised crime and to carry out a multidimensional, regional and joint approach to the phenomenon, contributing to a better understanding of the reality of transnational organised crime in the region.

At the same time, EL PAcCTO has driven the creation of a Latin American Internal Security Committee (CLASI), which will see the light of day next week and is inspired by the European experience of the Internal Security Operational Committee (COSI). The objective of this structure is to define joint strategies and coordinate public security policies between Latin American countries, based on the threat analysis made by IDEAL, among others, to provide a coordinated response to the numerous challenges posed by organised transnational crime.

IDEAL 2.0

Since the launch of IDEAL, different meetings have been held to discuss the evolution of the Instrument up to the present time. This week, at a meeting held in Panama, the new version of the tool, called IDEAL 2.0, was approved. The encounter made it possible to debate with and support these countries in the collection of data, as well as to present European models of police intelligence and provide facilities to countries that wish to adapt these models to suit their reality. In this encounter, a small training session was also developed for the IDEAL Points of Contact (PdC), which will facilitate data collection.

The objective of the new version of IDEAL is to promote a joint response by the countries that make up CLASI to the challenges posed by organised crime in Latin America.

The encounter was opened by Chris Hoornaert, European Union Ambassador in Panama, and Ivor Pitti, the Vice Minister of Public Security of the Central American country, who highlighted that IDEAL 2.0 “will allow us to define an effective strategy for the multiple and numerous challenges against organised transnational crime and all its ramifications”. Also in attendance were the IDEAL contact points from each of the countries that worked on the construction of IDEAL 1.0 (Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Panama) and from the countries that have expressed interest in joining them in IDEAL 2.0 (Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay) as well as representation from Ameripol and experts in IDEAL.