The government of the Dominican Republic and John Jay College for Criminal Justice signed an agreement on November 9 to train specialists from the Dominican police force, composed of around 30,000 officers. The agreement is part of Dominican President Leonel Fernández’s plan to equip the National Police with fundamental tools to better serve the country’s citizens.

The officers will take courses in criminal investigation, internal affairs, criminal data collection and analysis, and records management and maintenance.

The agreement was signed by Jeremy Travis, president of John Jay College, and, on behalf of the Dominican government, Secretary of the Interior and the Police Dr. Franklin Almeyda Rancier, Attorney General Dr. Francisco Domínguez Brito, and Chief of Police Major General Bernardo Santana Páez.

In a press conference at John Jay College, part of the City University of New York, Travis said that his institution is especially well equipped to provide knowledge and assistance to the Dominican Republic in its efforts not only to educate and train the leaders of its police force, but also to improve the country’s justice system as well.

The agreement forms part of a series of actions that President Fernández’s government has taken in order to modernize the National Police and enable it to confront delinquency and crime with modern methods.

In his recent visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, President Fernández highlighted the need for the Dominican police force to become more modern and better equipped to guarantee safety and security.