Working around drug war-torn communities on the U.S.-Mexico border

The proposed research draws on my pioneering doctoral research to seek an alternative approach in tackling the
drug problem around U.S.-Mexico border communities. The idea emerges at a time when Latin American countries
such as Mexico, begin to recognise the high socioeconomic burden and human cost of ineffective and pernicious
drug policies. The drug trafficking phenomenon is a serious security challenge that has obstructed development in
Mexico in the last two decades and begs for new approaches to address the problem.
My research successfully extended a state crime perspective, to a new context to explicate the experience of
border communities at the centre of an unprecedented violent drug conflict in which multiple state actors were
active or complicit on both sides of the conflict. Key findings evidence that state security operations involving
militarised police operations to fight drug trafficking organisations have not only failed to address the problem
around the U.S.-Mexico border communities, but exacerbate and engender violence. Through its provision of a
more nuanced theoretical understanding of the drug problem blighting everyday life for border communities, my
research findings have significant potential to enhance practical strategies to address this problem. An important
first-step towards this would be funding for a follow-up research study to explore the potential application of
development frameworks common in studies of post-conflict settings, but hitherto absent from criminology as an
alternative to the security approaches.
I propose to conduct a short fieldwork trip to Juarez where I will collect data through semi-structured interviews
with staff members based at non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civic community councils (CCCs) in
Juarez. Also, academics from the two institutions I plan to visit in Juarez will be recruited as research participants.
All individuals will be then invited to take part in the community-based events. These events will be research
impact workshops and meeting groups where I will share findings with user groups. The purpose of the follow-up
research is to a) identify the current problems and challenges set as priorities by third sector organisations and b)
to examine the extent to which the work of these organisations address local community needs. An analysis of the
post-conflict situation in Juarez contributes to a better understanding of the basic development needs of drug war torn
border communities that will inform the working agendas of NGOs and CCCs on the ground and indeed, inform
policy makers decisions in formulating drug policies.
After conducting this follow-up study I plan to visit academic institutions in Mexico City and Aguascalientes where there
is significant interest within academic circles in understanding insecurities caused by organised crime and the effectiveness of government responses.
A second series of institution visits will take place in the US, specifically in El Paso, Flagstaff. The universities in these
locations have been selected carefully in order to maximise the potential of building international networks.
Across all six academic institutions I'll have an excellent opportunity to communicate my doctoral findings
with academic audiences as it will cultivate a variety of capacity development and knowledge exchange prospects.
Finally, I'll be based at Edinburgh University for nine months where I aim to further develop my early academic career
as a recent doctorate graduate. I plan to fully engage in training sessions offered within the School of Law through Early Career Development Portfolio and Contract Researcher Programme. As the work plan in this proposal shows I will
be addressing the current gaps in my academic profile (producing publications and developing impact) by working alongside, and with the support of, my mentor and experienced socio-legal researchers at the Edinburgh Law School.