With the story today about the aero-navigability director Angel Christopher Martinez being killed and last week's story about the comedian Pelaez being killed as well, I was wondering how people in the Dominican Republic (mainly the wealthy and middle classes) keep themselves from harms way when there are constantly theifs and killers after these types of people looking to rob their homes or cars every day. I know some of them just dont mention how much money they have but what about those families that everyone knows how weakthy the are, are they terrified every day that a family member might be kidnapped or even killed for money?
- Thread starter DRsScarface
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Safety In Dominican Republic
We all take care of our security needs, but it's nothing like the picture you have in your mind.DRsScarface said:With the story today about the aero-navigability director Angel Christopher Martinez being killed and last week's story about the comedian Pelaez being killed as well, I was wondering how people in the Dominican Republic (mainly the wealthy and middle classes) keep themselves from harms way when there are constantly theifs and killers after these types of people looking to rob their homes or cars every day. I know some of them just dont mention how much money they have but what about those families that everyone knows how weakthy the are, are they terrified every day that a family member might be kidnapped or even killed for money?
The crimes you mentioned hapen in your homeland too, and I'm sure you don't walk around, constantly looking over your shoulder.
In general, the DR is one of the safer places to live on Earth, so all is well in paradise.
Rocky,
I am Dominican-American and have been to the DR many times. I even lived there as a child, however in the recent years (as a teenager)that I have been there I have mostly been to touristic areas (aside from visiting my family members over there) and we usually stayed away from dangerous areas. My father tells me that there are many precautions that you can take like not going out alone especially at night, staying away from bad areas and not riding on two wheel vehicles. However, what I am wondering about is those people that get robbed by people who were formally their bodyguards or by the police themselves. I've heard plenty of those types of stories. I know those things happen everywhere but its a fact that the police in the DR is extremely corrupt and you usually can't count on them to help you.
I am Dominican-American and have been to the DR many times. I even lived there as a child, however in the recent years (as a teenager)that I have been there I have mostly been to touristic areas (aside from visiting my family members over there) and we usually stayed away from dangerous areas. My father tells me that there are many precautions that you can take like not going out alone especially at night, staying away from bad areas and not riding on two wheel vehicles. However, what I am wondering about is those people that get robbed by people who were formally their bodyguards or by the police themselves. I've heard plenty of those types of stories. I know those things happen everywhere but its a fact that the police in the DR is extremely corrupt and you usually can't count on them to help you.
There is an uproar in the population for things to change NOW. There are two major problems -- weak crime-fighting institutions and growing domestic drug consumption.
Crime is tackled in the DR by four parties: police, drug control department, state prosecution and judges.
Because of geography, the DR was chosen as a transshipment point for drug on the Colombia-Haiti-DR-US route. Complacent authorities looked the other way and the strong line against drugs in place during the Balaguer administrations, was permeated. Drug traffickers were paying in drugs, and so local consumption has grown to significant levels. Mini drug dealers control many corners in neighborhoods.
The government did not fund the security forces and institutions, and these weakened and fell prey to bribes from the drug dealers.
The new addicts need to rob to maintain their vices. According to a source in the Police, 75% of crimes can be traced either to drug addicts or are drug-related.
NY sent back to DR all the drug dealers. These brought expertise to operate the local markets.
To make matters worse, the country approved one of the most progressive human rights penal codes in the world. The penal code has worked in favor of thieves and drug dealers that have found many loopholes.
Now the government needs to make a decision on whether it is serious about breaking this vicious cycle.
The pressure is on from the population that is irked at this reality and is demanding action be taken to put a stop to it all.
Crime is tackled in the DR by four parties: police, drug control department, state prosecution and judges.
Because of geography, the DR was chosen as a transshipment point for drug on the Colombia-Haiti-DR-US route. Complacent authorities looked the other way and the strong line against drugs in place during the Balaguer administrations, was permeated. Drug traffickers were paying in drugs, and so local consumption has grown to significant levels. Mini drug dealers control many corners in neighborhoods.
The government did not fund the security forces and institutions, and these weakened and fell prey to bribes from the drug dealers.
The new addicts need to rob to maintain their vices. According to a source in the Police, 75% of crimes can be traced either to drug addicts or are drug-related.
NY sent back to DR all the drug dealers. These brought expertise to operate the local markets.
To make matters worse, the country approved one of the most progressive human rights penal codes in the world. The penal code has worked in favor of thieves and drug dealers that have found many loopholes.
Now the government needs to make a decision on whether it is serious about breaking this vicious cycle.
The pressure is on from the population that is irked at this reality and is demanding action be taken to put a stop to it all.
No Garden Eden
Either wishful thinking, misleading information for tourists and investors or tombstone inscription?
m'frog
Rocky said:... the DR is one of the safer places to live on Earth, so all is well in paradise.
Either wishful thinking, misleading information for tourists and investors or tombstone inscription?
m'frog
Dolores said:There are two major problems -- weak crime-fighting institutions and .... .
If you read the crime stories in the local newspapers for the last three days, you will invariably notice that in the great majority of cases there’s an active or ex police officer involved. The media does not report all cases, though. As a regular listener of the police radio frequency, I’ve noticed lately a sharp increase in crime activity at night, and I’ve also noticed that the police commander frequently uses a stand-down code ("con mucho tacto") when officers are sent to check on a reported break-in, either to give the thieves time to do their job and get away, or to avoid confrontation which may put them, the police, in harms way. Notwithstanding, most nights I hear incidents where one of two police officers, or military personnel, are shot, however not in the line of duty, but being held up themselves, for their weapons...
I Can Lower The Crime Rate Tomorrow!
Or at least help find the guilty parties.Have every Dominican,police/military,civilian,do a "Test Fire" of their weapon.The bullet would be saved for a ballistics check each time there is a shooting.Bullets are compared,the owner of that gun is killed! :cheeky:
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Or at least help find the guilty parties.Have every Dominican,police/military,civilian,do a "Test Fire" of their weapon.The bullet would be saved for a ballistics check each time there is a shooting.Bullets are compared,the owner of that gun is killed! :cheeky:
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Execution in the DR
Does the DR have execution laws for crimes? If so is it the old fashioned Firing Squad? Hanging ? Just curious....Never saw anything about this subject here...Now some states in the USA are giving you a choice...Lethal injection..OR the electric chair....Do fries come with that shake..???
Criss Colon said:Or at least help find the guilty parties.Have every Dominican,police/military,civilian,do a "Test Fire" of their weapon.The bullet would be saved for a ballistics check each time there is a shooting.Bullets are compared,the owner of that gun is killed! :cheeky:
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Does the DR have execution laws for crimes? If so is it the old fashioned Firing Squad? Hanging ? Just curious....Never saw anything about this subject here...Now some states in the USA are giving you a choice...Lethal injection..OR the electric chair....Do fries come with that shake..???
No death penalty. They don't even have life in prison, and by Dominican law, the longest term that a criminal can be sentenced to is 30 years.
Criss Colon said:Or at least help find the guilty parties.Have every Dominican,police/military,civilian,do a "Test Fire" of their weapon.The bullet would be saved for a ballistics check each time there is a shooting.Bullets are compared,the owner of that gun is killed! :cheeky:
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They always take a ballistics test before you pick up a legal gun. I don't know for sure about Police, but all legal civilian guns have ballistics on file. Whether they ever check them is another story though.
SKY said:They always take a ballistics test before you pick up a legal gun. I don't know for sure about Police, but all legal civilian guns have ballistics on file. Whether they ever check them is another story though.
Gun shops do not hand out gun purchases directly to customers. All guns are sent to 'Material B?lico de las FF AA', where a ballistic print is made and kept on file, then 'Material B?lico' hands over the firearm to the purchaser. On the other end, the police ballistics forensic department is practically non functional. I have yet to hear a case where a bullet has been traced to a firearm through ballistic match of the stration patterns inside the barrel of the gun to those on the surface of the bullet extracted from the victim. Also, most criminals worth their salt know that the interior finish on the inside of a gun barrel can be easily tampered with.
I think everywhere has its problems with guns, knives etc. Less than 2 months before i flew out to dr my 11 year old son had a knive pulled on him around half a mile away from my house at 12 noon, and that is in a sleepy town in South Wales. My mom never wanted me to go to the dr and certainly never to go off resort i'm glad i chose to ignore her we had a fantasic time and cant wait to come back.