El Nacional newspaper reported over the weekend that the practice of allotting stolen vehicles recovered by the Police to persons of influence was not new to the Mejia administration, but a common practice from years back. The newspaper says that the greatest number of vehicles was allotted during the last period of former President Joaquin Balaguer (1994-1996) when some 163 recovered vehicles were irregularly assigned by the government.
It was only when Interior & Police Minister Franklin Almeyda took office in August 2004 that a stop was put to the practice. Insurance companies had been pressuring for years with no results. The increase in car theft led the insurance companies to pressure the Police in order to reduce their losses estimated at RD$400 million, finding a sympathetic ear in Almeyda.
El Nacional reports that during the first administration of President Leonel Fernandez (1996-2000), 149 recovered vehicles were allotted to police officers and persons of influence, including government officers and their relatives, diplomats, politicians, journalists and intellectuals.
Records show that at least 361 vehicles, including luxury SUVs, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Hummer have been irregularly allotted since 1988 by the Police to persons other than the owners. The owners were not notified that their vehicles had been recovered.
El Nacional reports that the Police records show there are about 600 claims for stolen vehicles a year, of which the Police reports recovering about half of these.