The seizure of weapons, including knives, and other prohibited items in schools in southern Dominican Republic highlights the extent of the problem of school safety and the active response of the authorities, who implemented a series of operations in nearly 60 schools belonging to Region 03 of Azua over a week.
This intervention takes place within a national context of increasing concern about violence in the school environment, involving specialized teams and preventative measures, the scope of which reinforces the concerns of educational authorities.
The number of schools inspected illustrates the scale of the operation: the procedures were not limited to the municipality of Baní, but included schools distributed across five educational districts covering the provinces of Azua, Peravia, and San José de Ocoa.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Pérez Zapata, head of the School Police for the area, "these items were not only found in Baní, nor do they belong to a single school, but they come from different schools within that region," he stated in an interview with Listín Diario.
The operation, carried out by the Specialized Police Corps for Schools, the Rapid Action Operational Unit, and with the support of the Preventive Police, resulted in the confiscation of a variety of items that had recently been circulating in images shared on social media.
Among…
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Operations in 60 schools in southern Dominican Republic highlighted the severity of school violence and the presence of sharp weapons among students. (Photo courtesy of the Dominican Republic Police) The seizure of sharp weapons, devices, and other prohibited items in schools in southern Dominican Republic reveals the extent of the school safety problem and the active response of the authorities, who implemented a series of operations in nearly 60 schools belonging to Region 03 of Azua over a week. This intervention takes place in a national context of growing concern about violence in school environments, involving specialized teams and preventive measures, the scope of which reinforces the concern of educational authorities. The number of schools inspected illustrates the scale of the operation: the procedures were not limited to the municipality of Baní, but included schools distributed in five educational districts covering the provinces of Azua, Peravia, and San José de Ocoa. According to Lieutenant Colonel Pérez Zapata, head of the School Police for the area, "these objects were not only seized in Baní, nor do they belong to a single school, but they come from different schools in that region," according to statements to Listín Diario. Each week, specialized teams inspect up to ten schools per district to reinforce security and issue reports on the condition of the schools. (Photo courtesy of social media) The operation, carried out by the Specialized Police Corps, the Rapid Action Operational Unit, and with the support of the Preventive Police, resulted in the confiscation of a variety of items that had recently been circulating in images shared on social media. Among the seized items are knives, machetes, and electronic devices, related to disciplinary incidents and risks to the physical integrity of students and educational personnel. These actions are part of a regular effort carried out week after week, which can cover up to ten schools per day in each educational district, as detailed by José Alberto Herrera, director of Educational District 03-04-Baní. Herrera emphasized that the practice involves adding up the items found during the week to then prepare a general report on safety in the schools. In response to a question about what happened in the schools in the south, the official response states that during a week of searches in approximately 60 schools in Azua, Peravia, and San José de Ocoa, teams from the School Police and the Preventive Police seized sharp weapons among the prohibited items, such as knives, machetes, and electronic devices, as part of routine operations aimed at preventing violence. These actions confirm the diagnosis of a sustained increase in violent behavior. The School Police, along with other entities, seized knives, machetes, and electronic devices in schools in Azua, Peravia, and San José de Ocoa. (Photo courtesy of the Dominican Republic Police) Reports from the School Police clarify that the seized items do not belong to a single school, but reflect a problem of greater regional scale. In recent years, the presence of violence in Dominican schools has generated growing concern among authorities, families, and social organizations, as demonstrated by recent measurements that report a "high percentage of concern about the increase in violence in schools." As a preventive measure, in addition to police work, the participating teams have initiated discussions in the schools, with the participation of officers and technicians from the Anti-Gang Units. The objective, according to Pérez Zapata, is to guide both students and teaching staff, members of the Parents and Friends Association, and auxiliary personnel, "to prevent them from falling victim to gangs and other problems that conflict with maintaining a healthy school and a harmonious family and social environment." Educational authorities are adopting preventive measures following a alarming increase in violent behavior in Dominican schools. (Photo courtesy of the Dominican Republic Police) The severity of the phenomenon has prompted the Ministry of Education (Minerd) to announce the creation of a psycho-emotional support center as an institutional response. In parallel, the ministry plans to implement a pilot program in ten selected schools, in order to comprehensively address the issue of violence and promote harmony in school environments.