Important Agreements with the Chief of Police on Measures Against Gender Violence

Important Agreements with the Chief of Police on Measures Against Gender Violence
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, February 22, 2012

Within the next two weeks, an office will opencomprising 50 recent graduates from the police academy.Graduates will receive special training from Profamilia and the Attorney General’s office, in order to receive complaints 24 hours a day.

As part of the steps taken, Major General Polanco Gómez signed an agreement in which the police force commits to creating a Special Company, to be made of 50 officers who recently graduated from the police academy, and who will receive complaints in an office which will operate 24 hours a day…

The First Lady, Dr. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, met last night with the National Chief of Police, Major General José Armando Polanco Gómez; the assistant prosecutor for Women’s Issues, Rosanna Reyes; and General Juana Francisca Campusano Jiménez, to intensify the prevention and protection of women who are victims of domestic violence.

As part of the steps taken, Major General Polanco Gómez signed an agreement in which the police force commits to creating a Special Company, to be made of 50 officers who recently graduated from the police academy, and who will receive complaints in an office which will operate 24 hours a day and will be connected to the *GOB unique complaint system.

Should the victim request and need assistance, the special unit will have authorization to enter herplace of residence without having to wait for a warrant, so that the abused woman receives immediate protection from the appropriate authorities.

The agreements signed between the First Lady and the law enforcement institution, provide that officers who are part of the Special Unit receive special training from Profamilia and the Attorney General’s office, which will create a unique reference form in order to receive and log the complaints.

The Chief of the National Police is committed to opening the new office that shall receive the complaints within the next two weeks, indicating that Major General Polanco Gómez’s sensitivity goes beyond simply placing a female General at the head of the Office of Gender Violence. His main goal is to raise awareness among all law enforcement officials in order to continue reducing the country’s numbers of female murder victims.

Since becoming First Lady, Dr. Cedeño de Fernández has carried out several steps aimed at preventing domestic violence, most recently signing a National Pact to Eradicate Gender Violence with the different sectors of the Dominican society. The pact seeks to unite efforts inraisingsociety’s awareness in order to eliminate this type of violence.