General's removal justified
SANTO DOMINGO.- The decision taken by the chief of the National Police, Major General Rafael Guillermo Guzman Fermin, against General Juan Tomas Taveras Rodriguez was the correct one in accordance with the discipline of the National Police and the delicacy of the relationship between the National Police and the Armed Forces.
In order to appreciate the courage of the decision, it is necessary to understand the context in which the decision was taken, which was one of confrontation and a lack of trust between the two institutions as a result of the constitutional changes that is being carried out.
The proposal to reform the Constitution will produce radical changes in the National Police, since it will be changed into a civil entity and permit the creation of specialized police. The PN was in agreement with the first intention but it felt that the second was dangerous, since it could lead to the creation of an investigative organ-a Technical Judicial Police-that would reduce the current Police to an administrative force.
For weeks, both institutions were lobbying in the National Revisory Assembly to establish their points of view with the legislators, until a meeting between the two institutions was agreed to as a way to settle the differences.
In the process, the projects of each institution were exchanged, a process in which expressions such as "they are playing us dirty" and "they want to destroy us" were heard.
It is in this context that a joint meeting was agreed to by both parties. The meeting site was at the Metro Hotel in Juan Dolio.
During this meeting the general staffs of the Armed Forces and the National Police got together and had a frank discussion. "We brought it all out", said a source that preferred to remain anonymous.
But from this meeting came a compromise proposal that was going to be ratified by all of the institutions involved. It was an agreement just about done.
For whatever reason, General Taveras Rodriguez published the article on 29 June in Clave Digital in which he said that the Armed Forces, "have been the principle obstacle to the progress of the police organization and at this time they are the chief threat."
The following day, the chief of the National Police received a call from General Chestaro, the Minister of the Armed Forces, telling him that he was going to "come by". Guzman received the minister, but Chestaro's face was in a fierce grimace. The minister informs the chief that at that moment the general staff was meeting to analyze the "dirty play" by the National Police and he showed a surprised General Guzman Fermin a copy of the article.
In the face of the evidence, Guzman Fermin has no choice but to give satisfaction to the Armed Forces and at the same time demonstrate what the real intentions of the Police are in the process. He orders the arrest of General Taveras Rodriguez, who has been warned on two previous occasions, the that being by way of memorandum #15098, from 1 June 2009, for writing and interviews, public events that created friction with the Armed Forces.
It is good to note that General Taveras Rodriguez had received permission from the chief of police to write on issues of security and public order in the local media.
Evidently, if the chief of the National Police did not take drastic measures against General Taveras Rodriguez, his command would be weakened and, as a result, so would the chain of command of the PN. The chain of command is one of the key aspects along with hierarchy and subordination, both established in article 27 of the Institutional Law of the Police, as well as the need for discretion regarding "information that is known due to the performance of one's duty."
Finally, if the appeal for habeas corpus had gone forward in a civilian court, the Police discipline would have been at the mercy of the courts, something unthinkable in a police organization.
Erratic
The career path of General Taveras Rodriguez in the National Police was meteoric and erratic. Most of the police chief gave him punishments.
In four years he advanced from First Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel, or one rank per year.
It is notable that he placed a Second Lieutenant under arrest for ten days for "divulging secrets relative to the service, causing dissention among the members of the PN," and General Perez Sanchez placed him under investigation for forcing "58 female police agents....to cut their hair in a masculine fashion."
In order to appreciate the courage of the decision, it is necessary to understand the context in which the decision was taken, which was one of confrontation and a lack of trust between the two institutions as a result of the constitutional changes that is being carried out.
The proposal to reform the Constitution will produce radical changes in the National Police, since it will be changed into a civil entity and permit the creation of specialized police. The PN was in agreement with the first intention but it felt that the second was dangerous, since it could lead to the creation of an investigative organ-a Technical Judicial Police-that would reduce the current Police to an administrative force.
For weeks, both institutions were lobbying in the National Revisory Assembly to establish their points of view with the legislators, until a meeting between the two institutions was agreed to as a way to settle the differences.
In the process, the projects of each institution were exchanged, a process in which expressions such as "they are playing us dirty" and "they want to destroy us" were heard.
It is in this context that a joint meeting was agreed to by both parties. The meeting site was at the Metro Hotel in Juan Dolio.
During this meeting the general staffs of the Armed Forces and the National Police got together and had a frank discussion. "We brought it all out", said a source that preferred to remain anonymous.
But from this meeting came a compromise proposal that was going to be ratified by all of the institutions involved. It was an agreement just about done.
For whatever reason, General Taveras Rodriguez published the article on 29 June in Clave Digital in which he said that the Armed Forces, "have been the principle obstacle to the progress of the police organization and at this time they are the chief threat."
The following day, the chief of the National Police received a call from General Chestaro, the Minister of the Armed Forces, telling him that he was going to "come by". Guzman received the minister, but Chestaro's face was in a fierce grimace. The minister informs the chief that at that moment the general staff was meeting to analyze the "dirty play" by the National Police and he showed a surprised General Guzman Fermin a copy of the article.
In the face of the evidence, Guzman Fermin has no choice but to give satisfaction to the Armed Forces and at the same time demonstrate what the real intentions of the Police are in the process. He orders the arrest of General Taveras Rodriguez, who has been warned on two previous occasions, the that being by way of memorandum #15098, from 1 June 2009, for writing and interviews, public events that created friction with the Armed Forces.
It is good to note that General Taveras Rodriguez had received permission from the chief of police to write on issues of security and public order in the local media.
Evidently, if the chief of the National Police did not take drastic measures against General Taveras Rodriguez, his command would be weakened and, as a result, so would the chain of command of the PN. The chain of command is one of the key aspects along with hierarchy and subordination, both established in article 27 of the Institutional Law of the Police, as well as the need for discretion regarding "information that is known due to the performance of one's duty."
Finally, if the appeal for habeas corpus had gone forward in a civilian court, the Police discipline would have been at the mercy of the courts, something unthinkable in a police organization.
Erratic
The career path of General Taveras Rodriguez in the National Police was meteoric and erratic. Most of the police chief gave him punishments.
In four years he advanced from First Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel, or one rank per year.
It is notable that he placed a Second Lieutenant under arrest for ten days for "divulging secrets relative to the service, causing dissention among the members of the PN," and General Perez Sanchez placed him under investigation for forcing "58 female police agents....to cut their hair in a masculine fashion."
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