Santo Domingo.– The Minister of Interior and Police, Faride Raful, stated this Friday that the reform of the National Police represents the most profound transformation that the institution has experienced in its 90-year history and assured that the Government will continue to promote the process to strengthen citizen security.
During a television interview, the official acknowledged that insecurity remains one of the population’s main concerns, but maintained that the reform seeks to build a more professional, transparent, and citizen-oriented police force.
Raful highlighted that, as part of the progress, the institution increased its operational capacity by going from 34,000 to 46,200 agents, while the presence of patrols increased from 12% to 31%.
He also indicated that the New Service and Patrol Model has allowed for a 35% reduction in robberies in the areas where the pilot plan is operating, which will be extended to 20 districts before the end of this year.
The minister pointed out that another pillar of the reform has been the professionalization of officers through a new two-year training program, in addition to the incorporation of 8,000 body cameras to strengthen the oversight of police procedures.
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Likewise, he assured that these actions have contributed to the country recording the lowest homicide rate since official records have existed and one of the lowest in the region.
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Regarding cases of police abuse, Raful maintained that the administration upholds a zero-tolerance policy and that any irregular conduct is referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for investigation.
The official also highlighted the efforts to modernize the Ministry of Interior and Police through greater coordination with other institutions, the creation of a permanent board for data validation, the holding of local security roundtables, and the implementation of a single window to streamline services for citizens.
