Abinader insists on accelerating police reform following recent deaths during agent interventions

Santo Domingo. President Luis Abinader stated that the recent cases in which citizens have lost their lives during police operations demonstrate the need to deepen the reform of the National Police and reiterated his call to the National Congress to approve the bill submitted by the Executive Branch.

During an interview granted to journalists José Monegro and Edith Febles, the president maintained that these events confirm the importance of continuing to strengthen the institutional transformation of the uniformed force to guarantee a more professional service that respects human rights.

Abinader assured that, in each of the cases that have occurred recently, the Government has supported the independent actions of the Public Prosecutor’s Office so that investigations are carried out with transparency and those responsible answer to justice.

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The head of state highlighted that the police reform is already showing significant progress, including salary increases for officers, the expansion of health coverage, the strengthening of training processes, and the incorporation of human rights training programs.

Likewise, he explained that one of the most significant changes has been the training of the new police officers.

“Previously, many officers received barely a few months of training before hitting the streets. Today, they receive six months of academic training and three months of supervised practice,” he indicated.

The president insisted that the approval of the police reform bill will allow the institution to be equipped with a more modern legal framework and consolidate mechanisms that strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights.

Darling Case

During the interview, Abinader also referred to the case of the young man Darling, whose death during a police intervention has generated widespread rejection in different sectors of the country.

The president revealed that he spoke personally with the young man’s father to express his condolences and guarantee that the case will be investigated without privileges for those responsible.

“I assured him that there would be no protection of any kind for those responsible and that justice would be served. That is the example we must set so that events like this do not happen again,” he stated.

The president’s statements come amid a national debate over the need to accelerate the transformation of the National Police, following several cases of excessive use of force that have sparked questions about the actions of some officers and have reignited calls for a comprehensive reform of the institution.