The increase in deaths in cases “Shot exchanges“With the National Police coincides with the arrival of Major General Ramón Antonio Guzmán Peralta to the management of the institution in November 2023.
After eight years of DESCENSESthe deaths They went from 68 in 2023 to 120 in 2024 and 170 so far from 2025, which represents a 150 percent rise.
The records show that between 2015 and 2022 the Police lethality It decreased continuously, from 225 deaths to 60. This behavior is attributed to the pressure of Human Rights Organizationsto the processes of Institutional reform already short -term factors such as pandemicthat limited social mobility and reduced operations.
Control changes and figures
In 2020, with the Relay by Ney Aldrin Bautista by Edward Sánchezthe Deaths came down From 110 to 77. In 2022, under the direction of Francisco B. Cruzthe Historical minimum With 60 deaths.
Until 2023 the figures remained at low and stable levels. The turning point occurred with the designation of Guzmán Peraltawhen statistics began to rise in step.
The current one Police Director was appointed by the President Luis Abinader through him Decree 557-23which amounted to Mayor and placed it at the head of the institution.
I had previously directed the General Directorate of Traffic Security and Terrestrial Transportation (Digesett) And in 2020 he joined the security equipment of the Abinader campaign. That same year he was arrested in the middle of the crisis for suspended electionswhich directly linked to the current political process.
International comparison
The Dominican Death Rate attributed to the Police action It is 1.5 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025, almost four times registered in USAwhere it is located around 0.36 percent.
The contrast is significant because in the US Firearms In the hands of civilians and the Organized Criminality It is more sophisticated.
Despite those conditions, the relative index Dominican is much higher.
He Increase in deaths under the current management Raise questions about the security policy current. The data suggest a greater use of lethal force in the Police operations and a change regarding the containment line of previous years.
