Attorney General calls for economic approach to fighting crime

Santo Domingo.- During a lecture at the First International Symposium on Criminal Investigation within the framework of Police Reform, Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso called for a shift in how authorities combat organized crime, urging investigators to analyze criminal networks through the lens of economic behavior rather than addressing cases individually.

The event was led by President Luis Abinader, Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful, and National Police Director Andrés Modesto Cruz Cruz. In her remarks, Reynoso argued that many countries make the mistake of investigating crimes one by one without conducting broader “criminal market” analyses. She stressed that tackling isolated cases makes it harder to effectively dismantle criminal structures, whereas understanding how entire illegal markets operate can produce more sustainable results.

Reynoso explained that crime functions within a “criminal economy” governed by principles similar to those of the legal economy, particularly the law of supply and demand. According to her, criminal organizations adjust their operations based on market dynamics—when demand rises, supply increases; when there is oversupply, prices drop; and when scarcity occurs, prices rise. She noted that investigative bodies rarely examine how specific criminal markets function, a gap that weakens overall security strategies.