DOMINICAN POLICE COMMAND AND TRAINING CLOUDED BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 004387

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, INL/LE, INR/SAA; NSC FOR SHANNON;
USSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD; DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2015
TAGS: DR VE CU SNAR PGOV KCOR PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN POLICE COMMAND AND TRAINING CLOUDED BY
POLITICS


Classified By: DCM Lisa Kubiske for Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Deputy police chief Brig. Gen. Guzman Fermin
(protect source) told DCM on September 19 that Interior and
Police Minister Franklin Almeyda is undermining the authority
of recently named police chief Gen. Rafael Santana Perez.
Guzman warned of problems in the chain of command. Guzman is
concerned that training scheduled by a U.S. educational
institution could impede an Embassy-sponsored program to
assist in the professional development of the Dominican
National Police. He undertook to discuss his concerns with
the police chief. End summary.


2. (C) Deputy chief of National Police (PN) Brigadier General
Rafael Guzman Fermin (strictly protect) called on DCM
September 19 to discuss his concerns about problems in the
unity of command and discipline in the police. He also
discussed potential problems with the current programs of
police training. DCM was accompanied by NAS, LEGAT, RSO, DAO,
and political officers. DCM requested the meeting after the
PN deputy chief (protect) had alerted NAS police advisor to
these issues.

Too Many Trainers
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3. (C) Guzman was concerned that there was a lack of
coherence in efforts to improve the level of police
performance. He referred to an August memorandum of
understanding between Interior Minister Franklin Almeyda and
officials of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the
City University of New York. The intent is to provide
training to Dominican police and other law enforcement
personnel, including prosecutors. Guzman said he strongly
preferred to continue with the substantial Embassy NAS
assistance for reform of the curriculum at the Dominican
Police Academy.


4. (C) Almeyda had good intentions, said Guzman, but "bad
advisors" were telling the minister that he did not have to
arrange police training through the Embassy -- instead, he
could go directly to the source. The DCM asked what we could
do about this; Guzman undertook to discuss it privately with
the police chief and keep us informed about advisable next
steps.


5. (C) Guzman said that Almeyda had in the past received
Venezuelan officials who had proposed exchanges between
Venezuelan and Dominican police. He did not know whether
this proposal was likely to be pursued.


Undermining the Chief
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6. (C) Police Chief Gen. Santana Paez was appointed on August
17 to succeed Gen. Perez Sanchez, who had found himself
frequently in conflict with Almeyda. Deputy Chief Guzman
admitted that he had wanted the job; the new chief and he
have been "enemies -- competitors." Guzman's father was
police chief under Balaguer in 1969-70 and 1974-75.


7. (C) According to Guzman, Almeyda is already treating the
new chief with disrespect. At an internal meeting on
September 17, Almeyda chewed out the chief in front of
several subordinates over a budget management issue, with a
veiled threat to remove him if he didn't shape up. Guzman
suggested they continue the discussion in private, which they
did.


8. (C) Guzman criticized Minister Almeyda for undermining
the hierarchy in the police by removing oversight of various
bodies from the national police chief. According to the
deputy police chief, Almeyda has transferred control of
18,000 of the total 33,000 PN personnel to Major General
Guerrero Peralta, a retired police chief from the Mejia era
reappointed by President Fernandez as the presidency's
National Director for Preventive Security. These agents
include those of the traffic police and the tourism police.
They are part of a "preventive police" program to deploy more
cops on the street to confront rising crime. The advisor
issues orders to these units and reports directly to the
Interior Minister, leaving out the PN chief, deputy chief and
inspector general. Guzman said that additional transfers
will be made, to bring the number under Guerrero Peralta's
control to 26,000.


9. (C) In Guzman's opinion, Almeyda is creating a "parallel
police," diluting the authority of the chief and creating
problems of discipline and unity of command. Guerrero
Peralta wants to return to his old job as the chief, Guzman
believes.

Another Command Change Ahead?
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10. (C) Deputy Chief Guzman predicted a confrontation soon
between the interior minister and police chief. Guzman also
anticipated that he himself would have a run-in with police
advisor Guerrero Peralta, who has a "conflictive
personality." Guzman professed to be unconcerned about the
risk of losing his job; what mattered to him was the good of
the PN. Guzman said, he had offered to accompany new chief
Gen. Santana Paez to meet President Fernandez, to try to
straighten out this mess and to clarify command
responsibilities, "I have more prestige in the PN," Guzman
asserted. "The chief knows hardly anyone in the ranks. I'm
his main support."

Confronting Corruption
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11. (C) Guzman said that Almeyda had ordered the dissolution
of 152 police companies, each of which has been led by a
captain who is a political appointee. This has been a
traditional source of corruption. Many of the police are
detailed out to private or other public entities and draw
salaries separate from their PN pay. The captain arranges
the details and pockets a percentage of the second salary.
Almeyda has denounced this practice, saying that 15,000 of
the 33,000 total members do not in fact work for the PN. To
curb this abuse, the captains and the police in the companies
are now to be reassigned to the "preventive police." Almeyda
has declared that those not doing regular police work will
have their salaries reduced to a single symbolic peso.

Comment
- - - -


12. (C) Deputy Chief Guzman is known to the Embassy as a
highly professional and competent officer. Although he
clearly has an axe to grind and ambitions to burnish, we take
his views seriously. Interior Minister Almeyda had already
established a reputation for difficult relations with his PN
subordinates. Further command changes may be in the offing.
Embassy will collect additional information from Guzman and
other contacts and will assure that ongoing USG/NAS
assistance to the police avoids duplication of training
efforts,

MINIMIZE CONSIDERED

KUBISKE