After the chain of abuses by police officers that has caused the deaths of three citizens, the Government accelerated the reform plan of the National Police and announced this Thursday 14 measures to avoid the outrages of their agents.
The Minister of the Interior and Police, Jesús Vásquez Martínez and José Vila del Castillo, Executive Commissioner for the Implementation of the Plans, Strategy and Policy for the Transformation and Professionalization of the National Policeannounced the provisions that will be executed in the coming days.
1. Installation of cameras in all patrols and an operational center in real time, with the support of fixed 911 cameras.
2. Installation of mobile cameras incorporated into the patrols.
3. Implementation of the Police Criminological Consultation System on patrol telephones for the non-intrusive and respectful purging of citizens who are required by the authority in any circumstance.
4. The creation of a national traffic control center and review and improvement of the traffic inspectorate.
5. The installation of cameras in all detachments.
6. The installation of a control and monitoring center for the detachments in the Ministry of the Interior and Police.
7. Place the Department of Internal Affairs of the National Police under the direct supervision of the Ministry of the Interior and Police, in order to guarantee the prompt and rigorous investigation of the cases that arise.
8. Improvement of the systems and processes of the Inspector General’s Office, providing it with greater capacities for control and investigation of cases.
9. Accelerate the conduct of integrity tests on all agents, beginning with senior PN officials.
10. Implementation of mandatory guidelines for action, based on decentralized responsibility.
11. Implementation of urgent complementary training measures for all agents in crisis management, human rights and police action and the use of force.
12. Ratify, prior parliamentary agreement, and implement the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the United Nations, which will give citizens access to international justice.
13. Coordinate with the Ministry of Health a special program to assess the health conditions of temporary prisoners.
14. Reorganize the communications department of the PN, in coordination with the corresponding office of the Presidency, and implement new communication guidelines that prevent erroneous versions and informative distortions.
The measures they were on the agenda but were brought forward with the aim of calming the outrage of society over the deaths of young people Jose Gregorio Custodio in San José de Ocoa; David of the Saints in the National District and the hairdresser Richard Báez in Santiago, who died after they were arrested by police agents, in their respective locations.
At the end of the press conference held at the National Palace, neither Minister Vásquez nor del Castillo accepted questions from the journalists, despite the fact that before beginning they had promised to answer at least three questions.
