Police chief slams hypocrisy over “putting thugs down”

Santo Domingo.- National Police chief Jose Polanco on Thursday slammed Dominican Republic’s alleged hypocrisy over fighting crime, but warned that his agents will continue to act "regardless of what people say."

"What most Dominicans need to do is to leave our double standards in the past, we sometimes want the police to act in one way, and then when they do what much of society demands, then we attack the Police " the official said.

The Police Chief’s statement comes in the heels of several shooting deaths of alleged criminals in the notorious “exchange of gunfire” with agents, who call the incidents “putting thugs down.”

Nonetheless Polanco said the Police will continue to do its job and what needs to be done.

He said there have always been humans who challenge the government authority, "but the response comes at any moment, sometimes so strong that it hurts their family, at other times they go to court and to jail."

He said what’s important is to continue choking off the offenders’ range of movement.