He particularly questioned an episode in which Cruz Cruz appeared in Navarrete carrying a weapon in his belt
Santo Domingo.– The deputy of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), Rosendy Polanco, defended the replacement of the outgoing director general of the National Police, retired Major General Andrés Modesto Cruz Cruz, and maintained that certain actions during his administration may have influenced the decision to make the change.
Polanco rejected that Cruz Cruz’s departure should be interpreted as a consequence of his seriousness or his attempts to act correctly, after the former director urged police officers to “fight for what is right, even if it costs you your job.”
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“I don’t think it’s about seriousness or lack thereof. The country deserved that change and today we are receiving it in a fabulous way,” expressed the ruling party legislator.
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When referring to the former director’s actions, Polanco particularly questioned an episode in which Cruz Cruz appeared in Navarrete carrying a weapon on his belt while serving as the head of the institution.
“In his case, for a senior officer to show up in Navarrete with a weapon on his belt, being the director of the National Police, exposing the Government that appointed him, I understand, from here, that I am not a military man, but that it was incorrect,” stated the deputy.
Deputy says tenure depends on the official’s actions
The congressman considered that the tenure of an official in a position is not necessarily determined by the time they have been performing it, but also by their actions and the assessment made by the authority responsible for their appointment.
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“It is a single day that gives you the opportunity to continue, or that same day gives you the opportunity for them to reconsider the decision of your appointment,” stated Deputy Polanco when questioned about whether six months were enough for a police director to show results.
He added that both the population and the Government evaluate the way in which officials exercise their responsibilities. “The people see what you do, how you do it, and they value it, just as the Government that appointed you values it,” the deputy indicated.
However, when asked for a general assessment of Cruz Cruz’s six months of management at the head of the National Police, Deputy Polanco replied: “I have no assessment”.
The deputy’s statements come after Cruz Cruz, during the transition of command ceremony to the new director, Major General Ernesto Rafael Rodríguez García, led by the Minister of Interior and Police, Faride Raful, delivered a brief speech in which he urged the members of the institution to remain firm in their principles.
“Do not stop fighting for what is right, even if it costs you your position. You must stand firm, fight for what is right, and not cling to any position,” expressed the outgoing director, generating various interpretations regarding the circumstances of his departure from the General Directorate of the National Police.
Change in the National Police Leadership
Retired Major General Andrés Modesto Cruz Cruz was at the head of the National Police for approximately six months, until he was replaced by Major General Ernesto Rafael Rodríguez García as general director of the institution.
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The change took place within the framework of the reorganization of the National Police and the evaluation processes of the management of its main commanders. The appointment of the new director was made by the Executive Branch, while the Minister of Interior and Police, Faride Raful, led the transition of command ceremony.
During his departure, Cruz Cruz delivered a message addressed to the members of the institution in which he urged them to act in accordance with their principles and to “fight for what is right, even if it costs you your position.” The statement generated comments and various interpretations regarding the reasons for his replacement.
The changeover occurs while the Government maintains as one of its main challenges the reform and transformation of the National Police, a process that seeks to improve the professionalization of officers, strengthen internal control mechanisms, modernize the institution, and increase citizen trust.
Police reform is based, among other aspects, on modifications to the institution’s legal framework and on measures aimed at improving the conditions of the agents, their training processes, and the operational capacity of the Police.
The departure of Cruz Cruz also reignited the debate regarding the results that the institution must present in terms of citizen security, crime prevention, and police response, issues that are part of the population’s main demands.
With the arrival of Rodríguez García, the new command must provide continuity to the institutional transformation processes and, at the same time, respond to the challenges related to public security and citizen perception regarding the performance of the National Police.
It is in this context that the statements of deputy Rosendy Polanco are produced, who defended the decision to replace Cruz Cruz and considered that certain actions during his management could have influenced the Government’s decision to make the change.
