Santo Domingo. - The National District City Council (ADN), senior Armed Forces officers and the National Police Chief met noon Thursday to discuss measures to improve citizen security in the nation’s capital.
Mayor Roberto Salcedo said among the issues discussed are "measures and proposals that can be developed for the security of the Santo Domingo tourist route, the main shore and the Malecon promenade, the city’s vulnerability and risk management ?? for natural phenomena, as well as the protection of recreational facilities being built in the capital."
As to the Santo Domingo Tourist Route Salcedo said a commission is ready to present the socialization process for related sectors, and the Asonahores (hoteliers) Tourism Cluster," aimed at showing a final proposal to president Danilo Medina soon.
"The capital has become one of the biggest centers of attraction in the tourism sector so the Capital will provide a tourist circuit important for us and here the issue of security enters into play. Sharing this topic with the Armed Forces and National Police is also important.”
"It's no secret that crime is expressed in the vast majority of the world's cities. If we're going to have an increase in the number of visitors, we need a security guarantee that if these tourists come nothing will happen that could affect them negatively, not to mention the National District’s own citizens who also have to be assured of increase security,” Salcedo said.
“Now we’re working on a circuit of 30 public gyms, so it’s important for us, we have the case of Mirador park, the periphery of the Botanical Gardens, the old Zoo, to share this level of security is the best guarantee," the official added .
Written by: josean, 6 Sep 2012 4:07 PM
From: United States, Fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia; Guillermo Moreno President 2016
Tell them to bring Candles!
Written by: generoso, 6 Sep 2012 4:10 PM
From: Dominican Republic, United States
Nothing is more scary than a tourist from Europe or the USA, to witness a camouflage dressed soldier in a toll booth, or in street patrols, waving an M-16. This "scarecrow" effect that works so well with natives, does the opposite with tourists, and the military should stay in their barracks, or patrol the border, as they are not trained or equipped for civilian law enforcement.
Written by: RonEvane 
, 6 Sep 2012 5:14 PM
From: United States, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Agreed, Generoso. Uniformed patrols need not convey an image of a state of siege! police must be visible but in proper attire. We must project an image of security without the heavy-armed, scary-looking soldiers.
One step in the right direction is to purge from the force, the crooked cops looking to lighten your pockets under thread of bodily harm. Get rid of these worms, and half the battle is won.
From: Dominican Republic
spot on G. makes a tourist think it's a military state ... oh wait???
is the army not a big part of the problem?
Written by: papagayo, 6 Sep 2012 6:54 PM
From: Dominican Republic
PLEASE, NO to soldiers in uniform..they do not represent security, more like fear.
Tourists will nOT appreciate uniforms OR guns
Written by: curlando, 6 Sep 2012 7:03 PM
From: United States, Bronx
Reduce that $140.00 tax may help.
Written by: BASTA, 6 Sep 2012 7:16 PM
From: Dominican Republic, =Ghetto/Legalize Drugs/Free abortions for all
^^^^^^^^^^^^ 6*******s
Written by: danny00, 6 Sep 2012 9:23 PM
From: United States, syosset, key west, santo domingo AND NOW THE GLOBE TROTTER
why would tourists come to santo domingo? what is their for them?
your sea world is no sea world and i could go on and on.
no english for the police what if some thing happens to a tourists and he needs help?
u need to have the people stop treating the tourists like "prey"
this might choo choo train
all help.
the blue mall? most countries have many blue malls and better then that..
Opp's i forget the choo choo train?
guess u can have the tourists ride the choo choo and if they are lucky they can meet with ""u have on the mighty lion fish}
aboard
Written by: danny00, 6 Sep 2012 9:25 PM
From: United States, syosset, key west, santo domingo AND NOW THE GLOBE TROTTER
Reduce that $140.00 tax may help.
now their is one intelligent comment.
Written by: danny00, 6 Sep 2012 9:26 PM
From: United States, syosset, key west, santo domingo AND NOW THE GLOBE TROTTER
army not a big part of the problem
are we speaking about the army who brings their own crime wave to the people of the dr?
choo choo train.
all abaord.
From: United States
I agree not to have armed and uniformed military patrolling the streets, it will certainly chase tourists away. One of the worse ideas I have ever heard. One question, what ever happened to the tourist police that was suppose to serve and protect visitors coming to the DR? Was not their creation originally intended in anticipation of an increase in tourist traffic?
I don't know but some one here is dropping the ball and they need to quickly pick it up or else.
From: United States
@ Danny00
" why would tourists come to santo domingo? what is their for them? "
Do you suggest hayti to be a better destination for tourist haytian?
From: United States
Yes Haiti is much safer.....................soon after you are dead.
From: Dominican Republic
danny00
"army not a big part of the problem"
don't miss quote what I wrote, it was a question (ok it may have been a rhetorical one that all already know the answer to) and you removed part to make it something else.....
oh wait???
is the army not a big part of the problem?
Instead of always writing Choo choo.... try always reading All and not miss quoting.....
From: United States, Brooklyn
Great point Generoso: Soldiers—in time of peace, don't belong in citiy streets
From: United States
says Generoso
Written by: generoso, 6 Sep 2012 4:10 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
Nothing is more scary than a tourist from Europe or the USA, to witness a camouflage dressed soldier in a toll booth, or in street patrols, waving an M-16. This "scarecrow" effect that works so well with natives, does the opposite with tourists, and the military should stay in their barracks, or patrol the border, as they are not trained or equipped for civilian law enforcement.
now there is an intelligent man for you, folks
Written by: Pedrin, 7 Sep 2012 6:53 AM
From: United States
dannyOO- "Stop treating tourists like prey". That's it in a nutshell. Or as they used to say in the Marvel comic books, nuff said.
From: United States
Clean up the colonial area which is Santo Domingo's main toursit attraction.
In Montreal every morning the street sweeper sprays the streets eliminating garbage and bad smell.
Invest and maintain what you have otherwise it's just a dump.
Written by: ingle23 , 7 Sep 2012 10:08 AM
From: United States, brooklyn, NY
In civilized countries, there is a distinction between the military and law enforcement officers. Sadly, in the DR the majority of the population cannot make this obvious distinction. For instance, here in the states Soldiers do not carry side arms or other weapons outside of Garrison, unless they are engaged in training or some specific border mission. The other exception is national emergency (Title 10 U.S.C), or local state emergency situations, only under Governor’s orders.
From: Dominican Republic
Another family I know just got stopped and robbed last week by a bunch of uniformed armed men after leaving Las Americas on their way to the highway going to Samana.This is the second family I know of in the last two weeks. My real estate friend had a family coming here 6 weeks ago to look at homes and they got robbed the same way. They turned around and flew back to the states the same day to get back to New York A repeat problem that has not been stopped.
As said earlier people from the U.S. and probably the West generally think of an uncivilized society or a Dictatorship when an armed military is on the streets.
Written by: juanb, 7 Sep 2012 2:21 PM
From: Dominican Republic
If you really think that thousands or even hundreds of tourists are now going to visit Santo Domingo because of the new highway, THINK AGAIN!!!
Written by: DaveB, 7 Sep 2012 2:23 PM
From: United States
There is not one scary thing about those limp untrained soldiers with just 1 magazine for their stupid ,beat up old rifles. They're figures of disdain and contempt for anyone who's traveled in countries that have actual secret police and death squads. Tourist that come there for the first time aren't going to tell the difference between this so called army and the national police walking around in their nansie Sylvester Stallone movie uniforms. PN may as well not even exist, for all the good they do. This is just lip service, meaning nothing.
Written by: Mikey, 7 Sep 2012 2:24 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Crime has risen accross the country greatly over the last twelve months. They should be looking at increasing security for the whole island, not just the capital. If they don't, not only will investment dry up, but existing investment will leave.
Written by: papagayo, 7 Sep 2012 3:40 PM
From: Dominican Republic
learn the difference between
THERE
and THEIR
Written by: jasfalon, 8 Sep 2012 8:15 AM
From: United States
"The military is the key to safety?"
The military is the key to drug dealing, corruption, rape of the environment, murder, etc., etc., etc.
From: United States, I dont even live inside a house , I haunt one!
what they need is real police commisioner to provide security to different checkpoints in santo domingo . more police presense and cctv cameras can countrer this problem , why not hire more private security companies to look after this areas .
Written by: danny00, 8 Sep 2012 10:06 PM
From: United States, syosset, key west, santo domingo AND NOW THE GLOBE TROTTER
ILOVE THE CHOO CHOO TRAIN THIS IS WHY I WRITE ABOUT IT .
S.......... U GUYS SHOULD ALSO WRITE ABOUT THE CHOO CHOO TRAIN WHY? IF U REALLY WANT TO HELP THE YOUNG IN THE DR TO GET SOME KIND OF FORMAL EDUCATION THEN WRITE ABOUT THE CHOO CHOO TRAIN EVERY DAY UNTIL SOME ONE IN THE GOVERNMENT STARTS TO REALLY LISTEN.
THANK U
[WITH ALL THAt money for the metro many schools could have been built man, good teachers could have been paid a good salary,
and who knows just maybe they would have started a real police dept so people could live a real life and not be scared to go out at night from their homes because they are scared of the so-called police}. and a be able to take the bars from their apts and homes.
Written by: RonEvane , 9 Sep 2012 1:48 PM
From: United States, Gaithersburg, Maryland
According to the CIA world fact book, the DR imported nearly 119.000 barrels of oil per day in 2010.
(it's bound to be much more today). @ RD$216.60, today, that's about $5.55USD. per gallon of regular gasoline.
119.000 barrels of oil @ 100.00USD = 11.900.000 dollars per day spent on oil.
If only a fraction of this oil can be save, NOT powering SUVs and other gas guzzlers, it may mean money to be invested in our infrastructure, rather than losing it forever to Venezuela.
This is why we need modern, efficient, safe, and comfortable transport that relies on electricity, not finite fossil fuels.
This is why we need to finish building Metro line 2 and start with #3.
This is why the dummies of this forum need to get back to elementary school and (hopefully), learn a little math and seeing the whole picture of what's there.... But, alas, it won't happen. Once a fool, always a fool!
From: United States
actually, Ron, CONSERVATION is the only meaningful strategy. nothing else can be that effective, at this time, because the state of alternative technologies is not yet at a point where they are cost effective. the problem is that talk is cheap, and, in the DR, it is plentiful, so, it is cheaper. somewhere around 2 years ago, there was all this talk and bluster about not importing any more gas guzzlers into the country. all talk, no action. there are ten times as many Hummers today than there were in 2010. so, we blow the foreign exchange on oil, and try to save it , on the back end, by building underground trains, which serve less than 5% of the population.. one of my personal heroes, the late Michael Manley, responded to the oil importation disaster in Jamaica by banning all cars with an engine displacement greater than 2.5 liters. those who wanted one would have had to pay an import duty which would have rendered it unaffordable. drastic diseases require drastic medicine, not talk.
Written by: Danilo, 9 Sep 2012 2:52 PM
From: Dominican Republic, www.DuckyDeals.com
How can we move away from SUVs when the condition of our roads don't allow us. If it's not potholes it's speed bumps or even the lack of pavement. Another issue is flooding, getting to the center of the city would take me an extra hour with all the detours if I didn't have an SUV.
From: United States
last i checked, a RAV4, and a CRV, are SUVs. so are others, like the Prado. there is no justification for some 8 cylinder beast, like a Hummer. it is not because of the roads. it is for the show.
From: United States, NJ
Well said ,geronimo
From: United States, NJ
dreadlocks :
That was a good comparison about the Jamaican import of gas guzzlers.We should do the same,
What is the sence of building a METRO if all are going to utilize SUV or gas guzzlers ?
From: United States, NJ
While in Israel all I saw were military young men with machine guns and that did not affect the tourism .But again Israel is on military alert 24/7 for diferent reasons than what is brought about here.
I agree those un-educated thugs should be send to the border to patrol same. You don't need
them where the tourist are .Just have educated police out of an academy that speak multi-languages and can help, prepared with radios in case reinforcement is required.Just like in Milan
Italy's airport, mandatory 3 languages English been one of them.Also the pays comes with it.
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Tell them to bring Candles!
Agreed, Generoso. Uniformed patrols need not convey an image of a state of siege! police must be visible but in proper attire. We must project an image of security without the heavy-armed, scary-looking soldiers.
One step in the right direction is to purge from the force, the crooked cops looking to lighten your pockets under thread of bodily harm. Get rid of these worms, and half the battle is won.
is the army not a big part of the problem?
Tourists will nOT appreciate uniforms OR guns
your sea world is no sea world and i could go on and on.
no english for the police what if some thing happens to a tourists and he needs help?
u need to have the people stop treating the tourists like "prey"
this might choo choo train
all help.
the blue mall? most countries have many blue malls and better then that..
Opp's i forget the choo choo train?
guess u can have the tourists ride the choo choo and if they are lucky they can meet with ""u have on the mighty lion fish}
aboard
now their is one intelligent comment.
are we speaking about the army who brings their own crime wave to the people of the dr?
choo choo train.
all abaord.
I don't know but some one here is dropping the ball and they need to quickly pick it up or else.
" why would tourists come to santo domingo? what is their for them? "
Do you suggest hayti to be a better destination for tourist haytian?
"army not a big part of the problem"
don't miss quote what I wrote, it was a question (ok it may have been a rhetorical one that all already know the answer to) and you removed part to make it something else.....
oh wait???
is the army not a big part of the problem?
Instead of always writing Choo choo.... try always reading All and not miss quoting.....
Great point Generoso: Soldiers—in time of peace, don't belong in citiy streets
Written by: generoso, 6 Sep 2012 4:10 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
Nothing is more scary than a tourist from Europe or the USA, to witness a camouflage dressed soldier in a toll booth, or in street patrols, waving an M-16. This "scarecrow" effect that works so well with natives, does the opposite with tourists, and the military should stay in their barracks, or patrol the border, as they are not trained or equipped for civilian law enforcement.
now there is an intelligent man for you, folks
In Montreal every morning the street sweeper sprays the streets eliminating garbage and bad smell.
Invest and maintain what you have otherwise it's just a dump.
As said earlier people from the U.S. and probably the West generally think of an uncivilized society or a Dictatorship when an armed military is on the streets.
If you really think that thousands or even hundreds of tourists are now going to visit Santo Domingo because of the new highway, THINK AGAIN!!!
THERE
and THEIR
The military is the key to drug dealing, corruption, rape of the environment, murder, etc., etc., etc.
S.......... U GUYS SHOULD ALSO WRITE ABOUT THE CHOO CHOO TRAIN WHY? IF U REALLY WANT TO HELP THE YOUNG IN THE DR TO GET SOME KIND OF FORMAL EDUCATION THEN WRITE ABOUT THE CHOO CHOO TRAIN EVERY DAY UNTIL SOME ONE IN THE GOVERNMENT STARTS TO REALLY LISTEN.
THANK U
[WITH ALL THAt money for the metro many schools could have been built man, good teachers could have been paid a good salary,
and who knows just maybe they would have started a real police dept so people could live a real life and not be scared to go out at night from their homes because they are scared of the so-called police}. and a be able to take the bars from their apts and homes.
According to the CIA world fact book, the DR imported nearly 119.000 barrels of oil per day in 2010.
(it's bound to be much more today). @ RD$216.60, today, that's about $5.55USD. per gallon of regular gasoline.
119.000 barrels of oil @ 100.00USD = 11.900.000 dollars per day spent on oil.
If only a fraction of this oil can be save, NOT powering SUVs and other gas guzzlers, it may mean money to be invested in our infrastructure, rather than losing it forever to Venezuela.
This is why we need modern, efficient, safe, and comfortable transport that relies on electricity, not finite fossil fuels.
This is why we need to finish building Metro line 2 and start with #3.
This is why the dummies of this forum need to get back to elementary school and (hopefully), learn a little math and seeing the whole picture of what's there.... But, alas, it won't happen. Once a fool, always a fool!
That was a good comparison about the Jamaican import of gas guzzlers.We should do the same,
What is the sence of building a METRO if all are going to utilize SUV or gas guzzlers ?
I agree those un-educated thugs should be send to the border to patrol same. You don't need
them where the tourist are .Just have educated police out of an academy that speak multi-languages and can help, prepared with radios in case reinforcement is required.Just like in Milan
Italy's airport, mandatory 3 languages English been one of them.Also the pays comes with it.