Public safety, government and society in Peru, 1785-1835

Abstract

This article examines the role that a considerable amount of people in society played in maintaining public security in Peru between 1785 and 1835. During this period the authorities sought to encourage the active participation of a large part of the population in said function due to the inexistence or shortage of police force. In this sense, we argue that a scenario was configured in which, in general lines, there was no clear division between State and society in relation to the preservation of public safety and that, therefore, local powers had a wide margin of action to direct the fulfillment of these duties.