Increase of fear of crime in rural Brazil and police legitimacy

In this article, we assess individuals' fear of crime in Brazil with a focus on rural areas using ordered probit models and data from six waves of the Latino barometer survey conducted between 2008 and 2018 (N = 10.153). Results show that there has been a marked decrease in respondents' perceived safety after 2012, with those living in rural areas experiencing a more significant increase in fear of crime than those in urban areas. While violence in an area does not negatively affect individuals' fear of crime levels, lack of trust in the police and an individual's previous experience of victimisation do. The association between trust in the police and people's perceived safety, particularly accentuated in rural settings compared to urban environments, indicates the importance of institutions in providing public reassurance.