US embassy cable - 05SANTODOMINGO4387

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