The Debate Over Border Violence Spillover

There are some government officials, politicians, and law enforcement leaders who will have you believe that our southwest border with Mexico is perfectly safe for Americans to live near and visit. There are others, however, who have declared our border a virtual war zone, claiming that Mexican drug cartel violence has profusely spilled over into the US and is wreaking havoc in our border communities and beyond.

Whom should Americans believe, particularly in the absence of a standardized definition of border violence spillover? The statistics say one thing and the stories tell another. In the midst of this debate, national policy over how to prevent any - or further - spillover violence is at a standstill.

In this course, users will learn:

- How definitions of border violence spillover vary among agencies

- Statistics that are used to asses border crime levels

- Anecdotal evidence of cartel-related crimes in the US

- Why US officials and border residents can't come to a consensus

- Strategies to help the debate move forward

It will be useful material for students conducting research on Mexico's drug war, law enforcement/narcotics officers expanding their knowledge base, and any individual with an interest in Mexico's drug war and border security issues. This course is a streaming video combination of a narrated Power Point slide presentation and personal lecture.