Police chief says violence down 40%

Santo Domingo.- National Police chief Major General José Armando PolancoGómez said yesterday that criminal and violent incidents had been reduced by40% compared to the same period last year.

Polanco stressed that the preliminary reports that have come in from allover the country show that the PN’s “Safe Christmas Plan 2012” had borne fruit in termsof saving lives and property in the country.

He pointed out that most murders had occurred “as a result of the socialviolence that affects Dominican society and that escape the preventive measuresimposed by the authorities.”

Meanwhile, the Center for EmergencyOperations (COE) issued its third bulletin on the Christmas break yesterday,reporting a total of 24 dead and 257 affected.

Director of the COE General Juan Manuel Méndez said that 196 people had been affected by trafficaccidents and 24 had been killed.

Alcohol poisoning affected 76 and 9people suffered food poisoning.

The provinces where most incidentswere reported were Santo Domingo, the National District, San Cristóbal, Santiago,San Pedro de Macorís, San José de Ocoa and María Trinidad Sánchez.

Méndez reported that 809 vehicles hadbeen impounded by the Metropolitan Transport Authority (Amet), of which 510 weremotorbikes, 152 heavy vehicles and 147 cars.

He said that in 201 road accidents,196 people were affected, and 101 involved cars and 94 motorbikes. Peak time for accidents was between 3 and4 a.m.

Compared to last year, in the firstphase of the operation there has been a 7.7% reduction in fatalities: in 2011there were 26 deaths compared with 24 this year.