Dominican Republic 2011 Crime and Safety Report
Riots/Civil Unrest; Crime; Terrorism
Western Hemisphere > Dominican Republic > Santo Domingo
5/1/2011
Dominican Republic 2011 Crime and Safety Report
Overall Crime and Safety Situation:
Crime Threats
While the U.S. State Department rates the crime threat for the Dominican Republic as high,
preliminary 2010 statistics from the National Police at the national level, in comparison to
2009 figures, showed a three percent increase in the number of reported homicides; a thirteen
percent increase in the number of injuries that resulted from acts of violence with weapons; a
nineteen percent increase in armed robberies; and an increase by nine percent in the number
of fraud related schemes.
Some of the primary contributing factors were unemployment, large
scale migration to urban areas, abuse of drugs and alcohol, drug trafficking, and the
availability of weapons.
Although fraud schemes have decreased, credit card fraud is still a
dilemma; individuals are encouraged to use their credit and ATM cards judiciously while in the
Dominican Republic. In addition, during the holiday season (from November and January)
and especially during carnival, the overall level of crime tends to rise, especially in the area of
thefts and robberies.
Preliminary 2010 Crime Statistics Revealed (Per 100,000 Inhabitants):
[*]Homicides
The five most violent cities in the country were:
Santo Domingo (24.29)
S.D. National District (28.87)
Santiago (16.92)
San Cristobal (22.56)
La Altagracia (33.13)
[*]Robberies
Top five cities for reported robberies were:
Altagracia
Santo Domingo
National District
San Cristobal
Santiago
Top five national District neighborhoods were:
Gazcue
Naco
Villa Francia
Arroyo Hondo
Villa Consuelo
[*]Assaults
Top five cities for reported assaults were:
La Romana
San Critobal
National District
Santiago
Santo Domingo
[*]Kidnappings
Top five cities for reported kidnappings were:
Monsenor Mouel
Puerto Plata
San Pedro de Macoris
Santiago
La Vega
[*]Rapes
Top three cities for reported rapes were:
La Romana
San Pedro de Macoris
Santo Domingo Este
Modus Operandi based on a recent study that was conducted by the National Police:
La Romana:
Armed suspect burglarizes a residence and under the threat of violence, sexually assaults the
victim; Victims did not know the suspect; Age of the victims were between 10 and 21 years of
age.
Areas of Concern:
Batey de Guaymate
The municipality of Villa Hermosa
San Pedro de Macoris:
Groups of armed suspects burglarize a residence and under the threat of violence, sexual
assault multiple victims; Victims did not know the suspects, and were also surprised by this
flagrant act.
Areas of Concern:
Barrio Lindo
Buenos Aires
Santo Domingo Este:
The cases in Santo Domingo Este were reported to be the most violent ones within the
country, resulting in the victim?s death; The armed suspects, under the threat and/or use
violence to sexually assault the victim.
Areas of Concern:
Avenue Espana
Neighborhoods along the Malecon.
[*]Road Safety
For those planning to drive in the Dominican Republic (DR), be aware that offensive and
defensive driving skills are a necessity. Although traffic laws are similar to those in the United
States, a lack of adequate traffic controls and enforcement have resulted in hostile driving
conditions. Drivers are commonly aggressive and erratic, often failing to yield the right of way
or even road rage.
Traffic accidents and driving under the influence often result in serious injury or death. This is
especially the case during the holiday season and when commercial vehicles, such as buses
or trucks, are involved.
Typically, vehicles that are involved in accidents are not moved until
authorized by a police officer. Drivers who violate this rule may be held liable for the
accident.
Local law requires that a driver be taken into custody when an accident results in
serious injury or death, even if the driver is insured and appears not to have been at fault.
The minimum detention period is 48 hours; however, detentions frequently last until a judicial
decision is reached (often weeks or months) or until a waiver is signed by the injured party
(usually as the result of a settlement).
In addition to traffic accidents, Dominican law requires
that a driver be taken into custody for driving under the influence, and the minimum detention
period is 48 hours.
Visitors may want to consider hiring a professional driver during their stay in lieu of driving
themselves. In the case of accidents, only the driver will be taken into custody. Licensed
drivers who are familiar with local road conditions can be obtained through local car rental
agencies.
For intercity travel, consider using one of the more reputable tourist bus companies, and for
travel within the city, hotel taxis are recommended. For safety reasons, it is suggested to
avoid using public transportation, such as route taxis ("carros publicos") and urban buses
("guaguas").
Local laws require the use of seat belts, the use of hands-free cellular devices while driving,
and the use of helmets by motorcyclists. During the evening hours, police conduct random
stops of vehicles. Individuals under the influence can face severe penalties.
As gasoline prices remain at a premium, most people convert their vehicles to propane gas, which is a
cheaper fuel. The nozzles of the tanks that hold the propane tanks are easily ruptured in the
event that the vehicle is involved in an accident. The result of a rupture is usually a massive
explosion. These explosions usually end up killing or severely burning the occupants of the
vehicles, together with any innocent bystanders.
[*]Road Hazards
Drivers should note that pedestrians tend to step out into traffic without regard to corners,
crosswalks, or traffic signals and are often dressed in dark clothing. This is further
exacerbated by the lack of street lighting in the Dominican Republic. Pedestrians do not have
the right of way, so walking along or crossing busy streets can be very dangerous, even at
intersections with traffic lights or traffic police present.
Travel at night on intercity highways and in rural areas should be avoided due to animals on
the road, poor road conditions, and vehicles being driven at excessive speeds, often with
malfunctioning headlights or taillights. Rolling blackouts within the urban and rural areas
increase the danger of night travel.
If traveling overland between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, it is highly recommended to
consult the Country Specific Information Sheet for Haiti, as well as the internet site of the U.S.
Embassy in Port-au-Prince for information about travel conditions in Haiti. This route is now
especially dangerous due to the recent earthquake in Port au Prince.
According to a World Bank study, the country's road network is approximately 19,000
kilometers, of which 5,000 kilometers are highways and the rest are rural roads that require
rehabilitation; 81 percent of the paved highways (3,831 kilometers) are in good or fair
condition, and about 70 percent of the unpaved highways (1,222 kilometers) are in poor
condition and in need of rehabilitation or reconstruction. The average traffic volume in the
highway network is 1,280 vehicles per day. About fifteen percent of the vehicles are trucks.