Troops to help cops in patrols, confiscate guns

Santo Domingo.- The military and the National Police will heighten night patrols and conduct joint random checks across the country to get illegal guns off the streets as part of the Government’s recently launched Citizen Security Plan.

Armed Forces minister Sigfrido Pared said the military has been supporting the plan with 600 men from the onset, in addition to the 780 troops assigned to Quiet City, a specialized unit that also works with police since December. "Unquestionably, there’ll be random checkpoints nationwide to, with very specific profiles, seize vehicles that may have illegal weapons."

Quoted by listin.com.do, Pared said the plan relies on intelligence reports from the National Investigations Dept., as well as other agencies, with the support with 18 trucks, 40 motorcycles and communications equipment.

The thug, the official said, "isn’t interested in legalizing a gun, quite the contrary, what concerns the authorities is the high number of private security guards and military retirees who are killed to steal their weapons."

"An illegal weapon in the possession of any person is a weapon that is intended to be used in any criminal case; it’s very difficult for those who have a legal gun to use it for a matter of a criminal nature, they simply use the gun for protection and illegal on in more than 90%, is used for criminal matters," he said.

He added that drug trafficking is of greatest concern, as well as related crimes such as homicides, robberies, revenge killings, shakedowns and neighborhood quarrels.