A systemic description of the national model of community surveillance by quadrants in Bogotá

Abstract

This article evaluates the performance of the National Model of Community Surveillance by Quadrants in the city of Bogotá. This strategy of territorial control, implemented by the National Police of Colombia, was evaluated using a systemic approach, employing the viable system model and self-transformation methodology. Unstructured interviews with retired police officers and consultation of secondary sources were used to determine the following: identity, levels of the recursive organization, structural strategy, and diagnosis. The results show that this model promotes an inclusive and flexible policing service, with a specific structure of primary processes, roles, mechanisms, and levels. It promotes a better understanding of community interactions and, ultimately, better results in the institutional objectives of security and coexistence.