Santo Domingo. The Dominican government reinforces public policies for prevention and control in 2026, expands the use of technology, and strengthens citizen participation, with the aim of reducing crime and social conflicts, and guaranteeing peace, coexistence, and the security of the population.
The Minister of Interior and Police, Faride Raful, offered these statements at the end of the first in-person meeting of the Joint Task Force in 2026, headed by the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, where she announced that this year efforts against trafficking and illegal carrying of weapons will be doubled, as well as the dismantling of criminal gangs operating in the country.
In that context, the minister detailed the priority areas of action of the Joint Task Force, including the dismantling of gangs and organized crime structures, the frontal fight against micro-trafficking, the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents, as well as the control of illicit markets linked to the theft of cell phones, motorcycles and metals.
He highlighted the launch of a cell phone verification center in Plaza Central, developed in coordination with the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel), the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Police, which allows citizens to check for free if a device is stolen. This project will be progressively expanded to other parts of the country.
Raful also emphasized the strengthening of public order and prevention, through actions against noise pollution, the implementation of the new preventive patrol model and territorial work through citizen security roundtables, in coordination with various state institutions.
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He indicated that another fundamental axis will be the fight against gender violence. He reported that in 2025, 85% of the arrest warrants were executed, and that, through the Life Points strategy, the protection options for women at risk are expanded, in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Women.
The minister also specified that the work of the Road Task Force has made it possible to reduce the fatality rate in traffic accidents, by reinforcing the operations and the weekly monitoring of the indicators, although she acknowledged that there has been an increase in accidents on some main roads.
He also highlighted that the articulated and inter-institutional effort made during 2025 allowed for the removal of more than 6,500 illegal weapons from the streets through coordinated operations. He pointed out that this type of weapon is present in around 70% of the homicides and violent incidents recorded in the country.
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Raful pointed out that, thanks to the joint work of the National Police and the Armed Forces, during the period of greatest social activity of the year, more than 27,000 police officers and 3,000 members of the Army were deployed, with the aim of preventing crime, reducing social conflict and preserving lives throughout the national territory.
As a result of this coordinated work, it was reported that the preliminary accumulated homicide rate at the end of 2025 stood at 8.15 per 100,000 inhabitants, an indicator that was described as historic in terms of citizen security. It was specified that this figure is subject to technical adjustments, due to ongoing investigations and cases with injured persons still under follow-up.
He added that 27 demarcations register homicide rates in a single digit and only seven in two digits. Likewise, he pointed out that in January 2026 the preliminary indicators stand at 9.4.
“For us, each homicide represents a Dominican family that suffers. That’s why we work 24/7, without rest, to continue reducing violence and crime,” said the minister.
