Erik Alda is a PhD student in Justice, Law and Criminology at American University. From 2001 to 2003, he lived in the slums of Fortaleza (Ceará), Brazil where he worked with an NGO on issues related to crime, violence and safety. In the past ten years, Erik has conducted extensive research and published peer-reviewed articles on Latin America, the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa on issues related to crime and violence. He also has helped design and implement programs for the IADB and World Bank.

Erik's main interest lies in the differences in crime and security in different countries in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, and his dissertation will measure police performance in developing countries.

His most recent publications include:

“How Are Police Doing in Combating Crime? An Exploratory Study of Efficiency Analysis of the Policía Nacional Civil in Guatemala.” Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, December 2013.

“Links between Terrorism, Organized Crime and Crime: The Case of the Sahel Region.” Stability: International Journal on Security and Development (Forthcoming)