No ‘witch hunt’ as Dominican Republic sheds Police generals

Santo Domingo.- With the new law that culls the number ofactive generals in its National Police, the Dominican Republic has started toshed vestiges of a bloody tyranny and decades under the iron fist of a policeState.

Police spokesman Gen. Nelson Rosario on Sunday said theinstitution prepares to place most of its generals on retirement, in compliancewith the recently enacted National Police Statutory Law.

He said Law 590-16 isn’t a “witch hunt” against generalsand instead to reduce them from the 51 now to just 20 within two years, startingwith officers with at least of 40 years in the force and have reached 60 yearsof age.

"In life everything has its time, we the generalsshould be aware that when the time comes we have to give way to newgenerations.”

The new law also bolsters the Police’s investigative armand Internal Affairs and bans the rehiring of police placed onforced retirement, with the exceptions established by the Constitution. It alsoestablishes a minimum of four years in rank for promotion.

The generals will be placed on retirement upon reaching 10years in rank, except the Director General (chief), the Deputy Director Generalor the Inspector General, who’ll be retired once relieved of those functions.