The Citizen’s group called Participacion Ciudadana in Spanish has asked the Minister of the Interior and the Police to explain to the people why he is interested in eliminating the different municipal police forces that are currently operating in some of the larger cities in the DR. An estimated 700 men make up the force nationwide.
The PC group also wants to know why the Minister is trying to recover heavy equipment from the municipalities, equipment that they have had since the Mejia Administration. The citizens group also warned the Interior Minister that his actions are contrary to the autonomous nature of the municipalities and might well generate political disturbances. Jose Ceballos was the spokesperson for the PC group. He pointed out that the municipal police forces are within the scope of the municipal governments because of their constitutional autonomy. Ceballos pointed that the situation is even more complicated and worrisome because the minister has also taken the decision to disarm the rural alcaldes pedaneos, authority figures in the Dominican countryside and liaison officers between the Police and the civilian government. Ceballos suggested that the minister, Franklin Almeyda Rancier, call a meeting of the Dominican Federation of Municipalities to converse about regulations for the municipal police forces.