Contrary to the indications of the Minister of the Interior and Police, Jesús Vásquez, that where it has been applied the “My Safe Country” program crimes have been reduced “considerably”, community members of the neighborhoods Cristo Rey, La Zurza, widen La Fe and La Puya affirm that in those sectors daily the residents are victims of assault.
Lorenzo Herrera, for example, said that in the last two months they have intercepted him four times to strip him of his belongings, the last being less than a week ago.
“I fell like in four engines when I was coming down there (pointing to Nicolás de Ovando avenue) and it was the worst of the four assaults,” explained Herrera, who has lived in Cristo Rey for five decades. first neighborhood intervened by the authorities “to give security to the citizen”.
While Rafael del Castillo, from the same sector, affirmed that the police do patrol, but “you see them pass by here and the criminals pass behind them doing their thing. We don’t have a single day of respite, even if the authorities say so.”
In Faith and Zurza
The same feeling was expressed by a resident in Faith and Zurza. These were declared “safe” in 2021, next to the La Puya neighborhood of Arroyo Hondo.
“This is a candelá,” said Pedro Cruceta, who said he was 40 of his 70 years old in the La Zurza area.
Cruceta explained that they only had “a chin of peace” when two alleged criminals died after exchanges of fire with the police.
IN POINTS
In detail
The program began in Cristo Rey, as a pilot plan, the June 5, 2021.
Expansion
After its launch, it has spread outside the National District to Santiago, San Francisco de Macorís, La Romana and Barahona.
Interior and Police announced that My Safe Country will go to the towns of the East in the next few days.