How are the curfews?

CarpeDReam

New member
Feb 17, 2006
362
0
0
Just wondering, is there a new air of confidence in DR when it comes to safety? Is the alcohol curfew still very much in effect? are the police patrols still very much in effect? or has all this calmed down? how about the noise pollution regulations?

Do you/people feel more at ease? do they have more confidence in these measures?/the government? are they happy with this?/fed up?
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
113
Freinds at the local hospital--the largest in the DR--say that the incidence of drunken accidents has fallen of markedly and so have victims of alcohol related bar fights...
Crime has shifted to an earlier hour.
Same old, same old.

Watch out for Christmas season!!! They are proposing a total relaxation of the curfews and that will be mayhem!!

HB
 
Last edited:

skyblue

New member
Mar 20, 2006
279
0
0
well, it's been my experience that the curfews are still being inforced and the locals are still obeying them.

i was surprised to see how much support i found for the curfew amoung my local friends. I thought there would be much resentment for the curfew among dominicans but NO, most all in favor and prefer the curfew. I also have a good dominican friend who has a small business where she sells beer and food and she also supports the curfew. she feels it's safer for everyone. i asked her if it has affected her business and if she stays open late ever despite the curfew.....

she explained that the few pesos she may have lost doesn't matter much to her b/c she feels it's worth it. as for staying open late (in rebel fashion) she said she doesn't risk it b/c she can loose her business. she also mentioned there are many snitches (neighbors and other business owners) so she doesn't take the chance that she might loose what little she has.
 

Kyle

Silver
Jun 2, 2006
4,266
161
0
i am arriving next week and i will feel strange knowing i have to go home soon after the street lights come on...
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
2,239
168
63
The curfew is just great... I wish they would not ease those "medidas" for the holidays...

As of crime, it is still very high...

Police, politicians, judges, military are all so involved in the drug-trade, that no one wants to see it disappear.

Crime is what you get whenever slums are full of crack-heads... But the people in power are just too happy to drive their brand new expensive SUV's, and they don't give a damn... They don't understand that they are destroying their very own nation while either being (well) paid to close their eyes, or actively taking part in the mecanism of the huge drug trade on the Quisqueya soil.
 

A.Hidalgo

Silver
Apr 28, 2006
3,268
98
0
I have mentioned before that part of this crackdown on crime has to do with DR-Cafta. Stability in the country is a required element for the implementation of DR-cafta to take place. The government had to show that something was being done to tackle delinquency.

Whether the curfew is really working or not what matters to the government is the perception that something is being done.

The link comes via aegap. Its main topic is about the UN seat that was at play a couple of day's ago, but it also touches on the topic of curfews and crackdown on crime.

MiamiHerald.com | 10/29/2006 | Dominican Republic deserves a seat
 

suarezn

Gold
Feb 3, 2002
5,823
290
0
55
The curfew is just great... I wish they would not ease those "medidas" for the holidays...

As of crime, it is still very high...

/QUOTE]


So what's the point of the curfew then if crime (just as predicted) has not slowed down much? we all know alcohol consumption is not THE problem.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,368
3,150
113
So what's the point of the curfew then if crime (just as predicted) has not slowed down much? we all know alcohol consumption is not THE problem.
People everywhere react more to the fear of crime than to actual crime in and of itself.

For example, studies have shown that in the U.S. suburbanites in general have the same concerns about crime as inner city residents in many U.S. cities. However, the incidents of crime in suburbs vs. cities is substantially different.

Even greater is the perception of crime, when suburbanites who often lack personal experience of an inner city situation would over-blow the perceptive crime level of inner cities. In fact, this is occuring among the Dominican-American population, with many Dominicans fearing the "crime in the DR" to the point that they over react as to not travel to the DR.

In fact, many Dominican-Americans actually think that Dominicans are locking themselves indoors at all hours, thinking twice before they walk to their colmado, not attending public events, etc. because of the "excessive crime" that the minds of expatriates Dominicans over blow in proportion due to a lack of personal observation and experience of the actual situation in the DR.

In fact, it has become quite common to hear of Dominicans travelling to the DR and coming back wondering what all the fuss is about. In fact, many would argue that the situation in the DR is no worst than it is in their U.S. residence (particularly if they live in the inner city or if they live in suburbs and have the same high crime perceptions of inner city areas of the U.S.).

They are surprised when they go to clubs in the DR and they see that the places are packed with Dominicans dancing and laughing, or that Dominicans are not running everywhere, etc. They notice that Dominicans are taking similar precautions that DomYorks take in the Bronx or Queens or Manhattan or anywhere in order to avoid being robbed, but it's nothing out of this world!

The perception of crime is more influential in causing people to change their behavior than is the actual act of crime itself.

And the perception of crime is created by the media. Take this into consideration, in the U.S. crime has decreased substantially from what it was in the 1980s, at least that's what the data has shown. However, if we were to judge what the crime rate is in the US by what we see in the nightly news, the perception of crime in the U.S. would be as high as it was in the 1980s, despite the obvious decrease in such crime!

The same thing happens in the DR and everywhere on earth.

-NALs
 

DominicanScotty

On Vacation!
Jun 12, 2004
1,300
2
0
64
Sounds familiar

The curfew is just great... I wish they would not ease those "medidas" for the holidays...

As of crime, it is still very high...

Police, politicians, judges, military are all so involved in the drug-trade, that no one wants to see it disappear.

Crime is what you get whenever slums are full of crack-heads... But the people in power are just too happy to drive their brand new expensive SUV's, and they don't give a damn... They don't understand that they are destroying their very own nation while either being (well) paid to close their eyes, or actively taking part in the mecanism of the huge drug trade on the Quisqueya soil.



Doesn't this sound oh so familiar for other countries. Drugs exist because people that have the power allow it to exist. It's not just the Dominican Republic that has this problem. You can be sure of this.
 

DominicanScotty

On Vacation!
Jun 12, 2004
1,300
2
0
64
Different time....same crime

Curfew is great because we can sleep quietly at night... Crime happens at daytime now, less at night, so somehow the curfew helped a bit...

As of Nals perception of crime analysis, I totally disagree, I would say it is a non-resident's view. I respect his views, but I just don't agree. Just like I respect tourist's views, nevertheless I don't share them...


I am just answering your post. If crime has changed times but hasn't actually gone down? How did the curfew help?

Yes, it is quieter at night and that is a good thing I suppose. However the crack heads are stalking the ATMS, banks, businesses and streets in broad daylight when before the curfew was in place these gouls would be off the streets during the daylight hours. Home invasions in broad daylight? I never seen anything like this in all the years I have been here.

Criminals dont take a holiday, they simply adapt to the different hours. So, once again. My question is this. What has the curfew really done besides change crime to a different time of the day?
 

Kyle

Silver
Jun 2, 2006
4,266
161
0
you mean i can actually entertain after midnight without motoconchos messing up my mood with all the noise ?
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
2,239
168
63
Curfew is great because we can sleep quietly at night... Crime happens at daytime now, less at night, so somehow the curfew helped a bit...

As of Nals perception of crime analysis, I totally disagree, I would say it is a non-resident's view. I respect his views, but I just don't agree. Just like I respect tourist's views, nevertheless I don't share them...
 

CyaBye3015

Bronze
Jan 8, 2003
1,462
23
0
I don't think I fully understand the new curfew law. Is it only for liquor sales, or, do people have to be off the streets by midnight?

If people have to be off the streets, how does that affect the late night flight arrivals?

How does it affect people in the AI's?
 

MrMike

Silver
Mar 2, 2003
2,586
100
0
52
www.azconatechnologies.com
You don't "have" to be "off the street by midnight", but the potential to be hassled repeatedly (stopped and searched at every stoplight) is such that to go out after midnight you pretty much need to be rushing a relative to the hospital or some other emergency.
 

skyblue

New member
Mar 20, 2006
279
0
0
I don't think I fully understand the new curfew law. Is it only for liquor sales, or, do people have to be off the streets by midnight?

If people have to be off the streets, how does that affect the late night flight arrivals?

How does it affect people in the AI's?

if you are dominican - you DO have to be off the street or risk being arrested. If you are a foreigner, you don't have to worry much as there is a double standard.