Police brutality is a contentious issue that has plagued various societies globally, including Puerto Rico. Although police brutality affects all groups of people, this article focuses on the police brutality against on Dominicans living in Puerto Rico. Over the years, the issue of police brutality has continued to raise concerns among the citizens, human rights activists, and international organizations.
Puerto Rico has a long history of police brutality, and the issue has persisted for decades. The island has a complicated political and economic history that has contributed to the rise of police brutality. Puerto Rico has been under the US government since 1898 when it was ceded to the United States after the Spanish-American War.
The island has since been a commonwealth of the United States, but its citizens do not have voting rights in federal elections. This arrangement has created a sense of inequality and has contributed to a distrust of the government, including the police force.
The police force in Puerto Rico has faced various challenges, including inadequate funding, corruption, and a lack of resources. The island has one of the highest crime rates in the United States, and this has put pressure on the police force to maintain law and order.
Police in Puerto Rico have been accused of using excessive force, racial profiling, and other forms of police brutality. The issue of police brutality is particularly acute for Dominicans living in Puerto Rico.
Dominicans in Puerto Rico:
Dominicans are the largest immigrant group in Puerto Rico, accounting for over 5% of the island’s population and out of that percentage it is estimated that about 67% of them are documented and about 33% undocumented.
Many Dominicans living in PR are often face discrimination and racism. Dominicans are often seen as a threat to the Puerto Rican way of life, and this has led to a rise in anti-Dominican sentiment, although this sentiment if much less then what is was in the 80’s and 90’s.
Dominicans living in Puerto Rico face various challenges, including poverty, lack of access to education and healthcare, and limited job opportunities.
The police force often targets Dominicans, and they are more likely to be subjected to police brutality than other groups. Dominicans living in Puerto Rico are often subjected to racial profiling, and this has led to a breakdown of trust between the community and the police force.
Police Brutality Against Dominicans:
Police brutality against Dominicans in Puerto Rico is a significant concern, and it has been documented by various human rights organizations. The police force often uses excessive force when dealing with Dominicans, and this has led to injuries and deaths. T
he police force has also been accused of racial profiling, and this has led to a breakdown of trust between the community and the police force.
In 2019, the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics reported that Dominicans were more likely to be stopped by the police than any other group.
This report also revealed that Dominicans were more likely to be subjected to excessive force than any other group. The report highlights the issue of police brutality against Dominicans and the need for urgent action.
Karina Gross Polanco is still haunted by the moment she arrived on the scene after her brother, Gross Polanco had been shot dead by a member of the Puerto Rico police department while standing at a food truck waiting for his order in the summer of 2017,.
Gross a Dominican immigrant, got into a drunken argument with Nieves Pérez Ortiz, an off-duty police officer. The officer shot Gross Polanco, who was unarmed, in his head and killed him.
“It was full of cops and closed off with yellow tape,” said Gross Polanco. “When I saw him bleeding out on the floor and I asked what had happened and that we needed to call an ambulance, but they said it was an instant death by gunshot, there was no point.”
“I ask myself how is it possible that a cop with so many other ways of solving the situation just shoots my brother in the face?” Gross Polanco said. “He could have saved my brother’s life with just one call. He left kids without their father and a family destroyed.”
Gross’s murder brings to light civil rights activists’ concerns that Dominican immigrants are subject to police profiling and brutality in Puerto Rico and, in an age of increased scrutiny by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), are also being targeted for deportation on the island.
It is a heavy burden for an already vulnerable community in Puerto Rico, often afraid to speak out about abuse or discrimination, or being singled out for violence.
“Many Dominicans have been murdered here in Puerto Rico,” said José Rodríguez, a Dominican community leader who has lived in Puerto Rico for more than three decades.
Gross Polanco, 25, had come to Puerto Rico in a yola (a small wooden boat) with his sister years before. It was a treacherous and sometimes deadly trip through the waters of the Mona Passage, a dangerous shark infested ocean that many Dominican immigrants take each year to reach the island, hoping for a better life.
“The great majority of Dominicans that come to Puerto Rico come to work, from gardening to cleaning to construction, wherever they can find work” said Rodríguez.
Effects of Police Brutality:
Police brutality against Dominicans in Puerto Rico has various effects on the community. The most immediate effect is physical harm, including injuries and deaths. Police brutality can also lead to psychological trauma, including anxiety and depression.
The issue of police brutality can also lead to a breakdown of trust between the community and the police force. This breakdown of trust can lead to a reluctance to report crimes and a lack of cooperation with the police.
Police brutality can also have long-term effects on the community. The issue can lead to a sense of disenfranchisement and a lack of faith in the justice system. This can create a cycle of violence, where the community feels that they have no choice but to resort to violence to protect themselves.
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