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| NEWS > 14 October 2006 |
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Drink-drive police keep their
COPS caught drink-driving are avoiding the sack and are instead being allowed to remain in service or retire at taxpayers’ expense.
Guidelines saying officers convicted of drink-related driving offences should be sacked or forced to resign are not being followed by some North forces.
The Sunday Sun can reveal that, since the Home Office guidelines were issued six years ago, 21 officers from the North’s police forces have been convicted of drink-driving . . . more than half of whom were allowed to remain in service or retire.
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Boston Herald - United States
14 October 2006
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Dominican party culture change
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - A young crowd plays dominoes and throws back rum under the palm trees of a colonial square. As the clock ticks past 2 a.m., a police jeep arrives.
“We remind you,” says a voice crackling through a megaphone, “public establishments have been closed and drinking in the park is not allowed.”
Two dozen young people straggle away from the square. Three months ago, the party probably would have lasted until sunrise.
They take “last call” seriously in the Dominican Republic these days. Since the government imposed a new law in July to combat crime, all bars, liquor stores and nightclubs must close at midnight on weekdays and at 2 a.m on weekends. The rule is enforced by armed soldiers and police.
No law stops people from staying out longer, but the presence of 8,000 officers on any given night in this Caribbean country effectively clears the streets in cities once known for all-night parties.
Some people head for new underground bars, entering with a secret knock. Others just go home.
“Life has changed a lot, yes, but there are fewer dead and fewer attacks,” said Nirio de los Santos, a 25-year-old butcher who welcomed the sight of soldiers on the streets of his often violent neighborhood in the capital.
The new law stems from a backlash against violent crime in this impoverished country of nearly 9 million. The day it took effect, hundreds of people marched with political leaders and media stars through Santo Domingo, shouting anti-crime slogans and carrying pictures of a teenage girl killed in Santiago, the country’s second-largest city.
Violent deaths spiked during an economic downturn in 2003-05, jumping to 2,260 in 2004 from 1,649 the previous year, according to government figures. They had already largely fallen off in 2006, with every month except June showing at least a 9 percent decline from the year before.
Many believe the alcohol restrictions have contributed to that trend, and they say shorter parties are a small price to pay.
The crime law came with rules cracking down on gun imports and weeding out police corruption. But corrupt police are already taking advantage of the new bar-closing law. Some patrols have been demanding off-the-books “fines” from people found staying out late.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Secretary of the Interior and Police Franklin Almeyda acknowledged the problem and said the government was considering ways to reduce bribe-taking. One idea is to create a system for the public to complain about police abuses.
Despite the Spanish-speaking country’s reputation for partying, resistance to the stricter alcohol rules has been sparse. In one sign of discontent, new T-shirts have appeared with the message: “The Dominican Republic will not be a militarized state.”
Others doubt the measures have had any effect on crime. “They say it has, but it seems the same,” said Jennifer Diaz, 32, who works for a catering business.
Businesses involved in alcohol sales are among the few voicing opposition.
The National Hotel and Restaurant Association estimates sales have declined 25 to 30 percent. Owners have petitioned the government to extend the new closing times.
The new rules don’t apply to resorts popular with foreign visitors and are relaxed for some hotels, Almeyda said. They are also suspended for holidays including Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Some predict Dominicans’ penchant for partying late will eventually lead to a repeal of the law.
“There are a lot of people who like to go out all night,” said Ernesto Benitez, a 22-year-old waiter from the southern beach town of Guayacanes.
Almeyda insisted the measures will remain until nights are safer and quieter.
“We are modifying a culture of Dominican youth,” Almeyda said. “If the culture changes, perhaps the measures will too.”
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