Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Dominican Republic: National Security
an investigative body and, unlike the police, generally does not
have arrest authority. The functions of the DNI are closely
coordinated with those of the armed forces intelligence units,
often
as well as with the functions of the police. The DNI is
commanded by a retired military general.
Approximately half of all police personnel are stationed in
the capital area, both because Santo Domingo is by far the
nation's largest city and because police headquarters, as well as
several special police units, are located there. Among the special
units garrisoned in the capital is a paramilitary Special
Operations battalion with some 1,000 personnel armed with
teargas and shotguns. The unit is used for riot control in Santo
Domingo, although elements also can be deployed rapidly to
any section of the country. Other specialized police units
include a special Bank Guard Corps and a Sappers Corps that
performs firefighting and civil defense duties.
The public image of the police has improved since the
1970s, but excesses on the part of police personnel, including
beatings of suspects, continue to spark controversy. The government
has adopted several measures to monitor police
behavior and has taken corrective steps, but complaints about
such abuses continue to surface (see Respect for Human
Rights, this ch.).
Criminal Justice System
The Dominican criminal justice system is basically an inquisitorial
arrangement in which a court and its staff take general
charge of a criminal case, and the judge gathers evidence to
supplement that produced by the prosecution and the defense.
Evidence is largely committed to writing, and the final stage of
the proceedings consists of the judge's examining all the combined
written material and then deciding whether he or she is
convinced, beyond doubt, of the guilt of the accused. The
criminal courts do not, therefore, operate under a system of
trial by jury.
The 1966 constitution guarantees several basic legal rights to
all citizens. These include the rights of due process, public
trial, and habeas corpus protection. An accused person is also
guaranteed protection against double jeopardy and self-incrimination.
A written order from a competent judicial authority is
required if any person is to be detained more than forty-eight
hours or if an individual's home or property is to be searched.
Security forces have frequently violated these provisions by
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