SANTO DOMINGO.- Supreme Court president Jorge Subero said the many fugitives from Justice in the streets is a serious situation, "because we cannot have so many people who don’t appear to respond before the courts."

According to National District Office of the Prosecutor statistics disclosed Monday by newspaper Diario Libre, there are 1,084 fugitives with arrest warrants issued against them just in the Capital, mostly in connection with drug trafficking.

"It would be necessary to determine if there is a problem in the issuing of subpoenas which aren’t arriving on time," Subero said, adding that there’s a need to determine if it’s really a problem of Justice.

He said he’ll investigate judges and prosecutors to determine who’s responsible for the situation. “What I want to establish is what is the cause that drives so many people to not appear in court."

Police chief Rafael Guzmán said Subero’s request for the judges to be harder against crime is encouraging. It’s a clear message to those criminals who try to alter peace and safety in the Dominican Republic.”

He said it’s a message for the judges to assume their responsibilities as the National Police does, including having to re-arrest the fugitives.