Dominican Policia Justice = Very Scary !

Papa Benito · #1 04-04-2007, 01:31 PM

We were sitting in a very nice, established, Juan Dolio restaurant/bar, Guila's, watching the NCAA Finals. A local band had started playing about 10pm. Suddenly, 15 Policia surrounded the place. All with automatic rifles and sawed-off shotguns, flack jackets, and helmets. Everone ''froze''. They walked around the place in a menacing way. Finally, they seized the muscicians sound equipment, not the instruments. Half hour later, they drove away with the sound equipment. These ****ers risk everone's lives apparently over a loudness complaint!

HOWMAR · #2 04-04-2007, 01:56 PM

As you say the band started at 10:00 PM, what time were they stopped? Could this be a curfew violation, rather than a noise complaint?

Rocky · #3 04-04-2007, 02:18 PM

I agree with the show of force being rather terrorizing to anyone in the place, but I wish the cops did more about excessively loud noise, coming from any source, be it a neighbour, bar, truck full of speakers, the idiot who parks his car in front of your house with a 16 jigawatt sound system, etc.

Kyle · #4 04-04-2007, 03:26 PM

i don't see anything menacing...they were wearing standard police gear and stopped by for a complaint...

give me another presidente and let the music play !!

Matilda · #5 04-04-2007, 05:01 PM

I didn't freeze - carried on drinking my Brugal!! It was at 10.30 and they came from the Anti-Noise department in the capital. They had had a complaint about the noise before and the owners had had a letter telling them not to make too much noise. I agree it must have been very scary for the tourists to see that, and I am sad for the band who now have to try and get their equipment back. It is also sad for Juan Dolio as it was always a good night there with the band.

mountainfrog · #6 04-04-2007, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matilda

....Anti-Noise department in the capital. They had had a complaint about the noise before and the owners had had a letter telling them not to make too much noise.

The good news is that something is done against deafening
'music' and they had been given a warning which they apparently didn't care about.
We live about 6 km from Las Terrenas but on occasions we can hear music noise from down there....
They tend to overdo it.

m'frog

sjh · #7 04-04-2007, 06:53 PM

i routinely listen to the music being played in town. I can hear it clearly, and I live 2 miles out.

that sounds like standard police equipment responding to a complaint around here. infact it isnt that different from what a US police team would be wearing during an search and seizure operation...

MommC · #8 04-04-2007, 11:33 PM

If the local colmados have had to 'turn down' the sound so must the local ex-pat hang-outs.
I could never understand why the only volume level seemed to be MAXIMUM.
There is no need to play so loudly that the windows on houses 300 meters or more away rattle.
I feel sorry for Guilia and Yuda and their patrons but having been warned by letter they could have asked the band to lower the level of their sound equipment to a more reasonable level.
Even the local evangelical church here in old Juan Dolio no longer blare their sermons over loudspeakers so the patrons at Guilia's 4 kms away could hear.

Snake · #9 04-10-2007, 06:06 PM

Papa Bonito, Sorry that the police spioled the night for everybody, we have already informed the tourist department for the damage, they are doing to this tourist area. We are getting alot of support from local and tourists, cause this is the only decent entertainment, for Sport Bar, Resturante and once a week Tipical Local Music.
Obviously, somebody paid alot of money, to spiol the fun for the tourists, and local people, cause we do have all our permissions up to date, from the Tourist Department, for the Resturante and to play the Music once a week up until 2.00pm.
We are going to find out who is responible, for this awfull elligal action, cause never in 13 years of business in Juan Dolio, has this happened to us
We have also sent copies to the British and USA Embassy.
Thank you very much for your support, keep in touch.

dulce · #10 04-10-2007, 06:48 PM

When I lived in JD Guilla's had live music every Monday from 9PM until 11PM. If 2 hours of music is too much for a tourist town then I give up. They had a very good band and a decent crowd where the locals went to dance on Monday's.
What would the people of South Beach or Miami Beach have to say about something like this? NO music? No dancing? BS