Despite recent statements by the Chief of the Police that violent crime in the DR is low by world standards and petty crime prevails, another headline over the weekend of the robbery and murder of the owner of a jewelry shop on Plaza Nuevo Sol off Avenida Winston Churchill, the manager and the store’s watchman, indicates that there is trend to the contrary. In addition, there have been three bank robberies, with the death of two watchmen, and the murder of a Customs department inspector. Chief of Police Bernardo Santana insists that it is a “normal fluctuation of the crime index,” downplaying the crime.
Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez expressed his concern about the increase in violent crime and urged the police to increase its watch and use more advanced methods to find the criminals.
Diario Libre, in an editorial today, asks, “Up to when is Dominican society going to tolerate abuses by the many-times accomplice of policemen, prosecutors, judges and the support of politicians and those in power?” The newspaper says that in January alone, police reports show that there were 168 violent deaths. But over the weekend, in an interview with El Caribe newspaper, Police chief Bernardo Santana Paez admitted that there is a growing spiral of crime in the Dominican Republic and he attributes much of this increase to a lack of logistical support for the National Police. Santana Paez, faced with a series of brutal robberies and murders over the last 96 hours, said that the newly installed Penal Process Code has tied the hands of the police in their investigative efforts. The General told reporters from El Caribe that the application of the new code has brought about an “abrupt change” in the way things are handled within the department.
Speaking at the Manoguayabo police station after providing two new vehicles for police use, General Santana said that the lack of scientific logistical support needed to combat criminals was central to the rising crime statistics. The highest-ranking police official in the DR told reporters that before the new code was applied, the Police could use whatever force was necessary in order to obtain a confession, but now it is necessary to use high-tech forensics and proper procedures. Improper handling of evidence is sufficient cause to have a case against suspected criminals thrown out of court, according to the General. Hundreds of cases against suspect criminals are dismissed for procedural violations, many including cases where the thief has been caught in the act.
The criminal investigation laboratory is currently staffed by six officers and another 30 members of the force are currently studying in Colombia.
In an interview with the Listin Diario, nevertheless, the Police chief said that the government has funded the Police labs with an additional RD$20 million plus resources to purchase 200 new vehicles for patrolling efforts nationwide.
After years of living in a practically crime-free city, residents in Santo Domingo are now being urged to take the same precautions of other cities known for high crime rates.