Mixed patrolling continues after a week on the streets

Santo Domingo, DR
The imposing crossing of motorized units, vans, and armored vehicles of the military and police agents that have been circulating in the streets of different neighborhoods for a week now, has received the approval of the residents, who without hesitation point out that it should be permanent to guarantee citizen security.

“It is calmer here. Let them continue like this; the tigers remain calm,” said Juan Carlos Lara, La Zurza, Distrito Nacional resident. According to the citizen, the supervision rounds are maintained daily and at all hours. “They come and go around,” he added.

Herminio Guzmán and Juan del Rosario, also from La Zurza, said that as businessmen, they can now stay open until late at night.

La Puya
The testimonies of affirmation about the constancy of the patrolling are repeated in other sectors such as La Fe, Cristo Rey, and La Puya de Arroyo Hondo; in this last sector, community members indicated that since last Sunday when police agents killed a presumed delinquent, “it is now possible to walk.”

“After Sunday… yes, yes. They are working,” said Feliciano Reyes, while describing that in the community where he arrived two years ago, “you have to know how to run in case anything happens,”; but now they can sit down.

Meanwhile, Victor de los Santos, who has been a victim of crime on at least three occasions during the 39 years he has lived in La Puya, said that “crime is a serious problem”, but that “with God and the military” he hopes it will improve. “They can’t take them away (referring to the patrols); they have to leave them permanent,” he said. Regarding the operation in which the presumed criminal, only identified as “Nanito,” died, Mariana Emiliano, a resident, told a team of Listin Diario who traveled through several neighborhoods that the shooting began at approximately 11:00 in the morning and that when she heard the shots, she thought that it was about confrontations between gangs as they are frequent to hear at night.

Cristo Rey
In Cristo Rey’s case, this newspaper confirmed the presence of agents on different corners, and the community members certified that they are still patrolling the area. Although the security agencies have not officially reported them, those consulted affirmed that several deaths of alleged bandits had been reported.

Insecurity
Capotillo
Contrary to the sectors mentioned above of the capital, in Capotillo, there is still a generalized feeling of insecurity.

Community members pointed out that “after they came even with armored trucks, they have not returned.”

Those consulted, who preferred to omit their names for fear of reprisals, said that the robberies continue and they need to be protected.

“Let them come; we do need it,” they requested. Last Thursday, 2nd, the mixed patrolling of the streets was announced to confront crime.