2025News

Faride Raful announces historic low homicide rate in January

Crime continues to decline in the Dominican Republic, says the Ministry of Interior & Police.

Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful has announced that January 2025 saw the lowest homicide rate in the country’s history, with a cumulative rate of 8.42 per 100 inhabitants. Raful attributed this success to the effective security strategies implemented in collaboration with the National Police, the Ministry of Defense, and local community actions.

In her statement, Raful highlighted that 11 regions reported no homicides in January, marking significant progress in the fight against crime. However, she emphasized that “every homicide represents a tragedy for us,” underscoring the government’s commitment to reducing insecurity and social conflicts.

“This milestone is important because it shows we are on the right track with all law enforcement agencies, and it’s yielding results,” Raful stated.

Raful also addressed the prevalent issue of motorcycle and cell phone theft, announcing that the government is working with the Tax Agency (DGII) and the National Institute of Transit and Ground Transport (Intrant) to create a more robust motorcycle registration system.

Proposed measures include advanced technologies like the 911 System cameras and street surveillance, enabling faster and more effective responses to these crimes.

“Citizen security is a comprehensive effort. We are calling on churches, neighborhood associations, and communities to participate in prevention plans that promote peaceful coexistence,” Raful stressed, ensuring that these actions will continue as part of a sustained security policy.

She also announced that a new resolution is being developed with Intrant, which will be subject to public hearings to establish a more efficient and mandatory motorcycle registration. This initiative aims to equip police officers with better tools to track motorcycles, facilitating their identification and recovery in case of theft.

Read more in Spanish:
Ministry of Interior & Police
Diario Libre

4 February 2025