A study ordered by the Proyecto de Modernización de la Policía Nacional to the Miami-based Consulting Group shows that low morales and salaries, lack of incentives, unkept norms and rules, absence of hiring policies, and internal corruption are key problems affecting the National Police force. The diagnosis shows the National Police is obsolete. The Police lacks modern methods and a community-oriented focus. A lot of the police’s woes can be traced back to the defacto privatization of security forces in the DR. Instead of strengthening the police force, to save money, previous governments allowed the privatization of the force, which has brought about legions of private watchmen. Now the citizenry is looking up to the Police again, as a wave of crime has swept over cities. The government is implementing a RD$150 million plan to revitalize the police. The diagnosis of the present situation, is a start.
