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This study analyzes the problem of police violence in Brazil and Argentina, observing how it affects the relationship between poor communities and the state. The conclusions are based on field research in two shantytowns: Villa 31 de Retiro in Buenos Aires and Heliópolis in São Paulo, comparing their experiences with police violence and political participation. The study describes how political organizations, neighborhood associations, and civil groups responded to the continuities of repressive policing strategies in poor areas of both cities. It analyzes the participatory channels opened in São Paulo and Buenos Aires and the advances and setbacks in protecting vulnerable communities from violence. The main argument in this thesis is that the measures taken by governments to increase participation in São Paulo and Buenos Aires failed to protect citizens in the poor neighborhoods analyzed, as states established contradicting relationships with these communities, at times through repression and violence, and at times through clientelism and particularism. The thesis concludes that in order to successfully promote citizen security and reduce state violence in poor neighborhoods, more effective channels of community participation need to be established, leveraging local demands within the decision-making process in public security