Findings of a study conducted by the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (ANJE) and the Institutionality and Justice Foundation (Finjus) revealed on Tuesday, 5 October 2021 are that 75% of top executives and business owners have little or no confidence in the National Police. Finjus is part of a committee that is looking into actions to reform the National Police.
The investigation was sponsored by the Agency for International Development (USAID). It reveals that 95% of the executives and business owners favor the reform of the National Police as an important step to confront citizen insecurity.
79% of the executives say that citizen insecurity threatens the growth of their companies.
In addition, they suggest that tackling corruption in the different police levels, improving police salaries, and, above all, a better recruitment process, are among the main measures to be implemented as part of the reform.
During the presentation of the study “Reflection of Citizen Insecurity in the Business Climate”, the president of ANJE Susana Martinez stressed that National Development Strategy 2030 Law 1-12 calls for “Building a climate of citizen security, based on combating the multiple causes that give rise to delinquency, organized crime and violence in social coexistence, including violence against women, children and adolescents, through the efficient articulation of prevention, prosecution and punishment policies”.
Similarly, Rebecca Latorraca, USAID regional director, remarked on the importance of involving the private sector in the design of citizen security policies. She emphasized that “we can only speak of real progress in social and security matters when businesses and individuals work hand in hand with youth, civil society, non-governmental organizations and Dominican state institutions to reduce crime and violence rates, which reduces the capacity for this beautiful country to grow stronger”.
Servio Tulio Castaños, executive vice president of Finjus added that: “Our hope is that this new edition of the Study-Diagnosis of the impact of Citizen Insecurity on the business climate presented by ANJE will contribute to facilitate strategies that promote the coordination of public institutions in this aspect, in communication with society, producing a synergy that will favor the joint action of organizations, hand in hand with businesses, social service entities and community entities.”
The research showed that thefts or robberies are the main concerns of those consulted with 78%, followed by swindles and cyber crimes, with 38% and 36% respectively.
The survey revealed that 85% of respondents have installed security alarms, cameras, and electric fences; while 43% have planned alternate routes or reduced the company’s hours of operation and have increased private security services by 21%.
This study also reveals that thefts are the main crime committed by company employees with 86%, followed by fraud and industrial espionage, with 37 % and 10 % respectively.”
Meanwhile, 40% of those surveyed consider the business climate to be “fair” and 38% rate it as good or very good.
51 % are hopeful the economy will continue to improve, 48% expect improvements in the investment climate, 41% in unemployment, 37% in democratic stability.
Gallup Dominicana carried out the polling of 555 companies nationwide from June to August 2021.
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Diario Libre
6 October 2021