CESCRO USS receives international recognition for its contribution to the study of organized crime

The participation of researcher Pía Greene in the International Safe Cities Mission highlighted the work of USS Law and Social Sciences, strengthened ties with Latin American authorities, and earned the Safe City Award for the National Organized Crime Indicator.

The Center for Studies on Security and Organized Crime (CESCRO USS), part of the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences at Universidad San Sebastián (USS), received the Safe City Award during the International Safe Cities Mission (MIC) in Madrid. The event brought together local government authorities and experts from across Latin America to share best practices in citizen security and governance.

The award recognized the development of the National Organized Crime Indicator, launched in 2025 with the support of the USS Center for Public Policy and the School of Government.

Since 2019, the Safe City Awards, organized by CIT Latam, have honored successful experiences that reduce crime and organized crime in Latin America, with the aim of replicating them in other cities through technical cooperation agreements.

“This opportunity not only allows us to learn from successful experiences in other countries, but also to share the progress made at USS and project them regionally,” said CESCRO researcher Pía Greene, emphasizing the impact of applied academic work in understanding complex criminal phenomena.

CESCRO USS and the internationalization of knowledge

During her participation, Greene highlighted successful experiences such as Medellín’s Parceros program, focused on preventing juvenile criminal trajectories; the security model implemented in Buenos Aires; and the work of Madrid’s Integrated Center for Security and Emergencies. All of these initiatives, she noted, provide valuable insights to enrich CESCRO’s work.

“Comparative experience is an essential pillar of the work we do as a center. Being able to learn firsthand how security policies are designed and implemented, while at the same time showcasing what we have developed from Chile, strengthens our regional and academic projection,” Greene explained.

The mission also opened opportunities for collaboration with local authorities and international experts, including representatives from Medellín and Buenos Aires, with whom academic cooperation is expected in the context of the international congress that CESCRO and the USS Faculty of Law and Social Sciences are organizing for October in Santiago and Concepción.

Finally, Greene expressed her gratitude to USS for supporting the development of evidence-based contributions to public security policy and for enabling the expansion of networks and knowledge in Latin America.