Citizen Disarmament Dominican Republic-Style

"Here you need to have your gun out so the criminals see it and retreat," said Jose Dia, a 33-year-old businessman who recently bought a 9 mm pistol in the capital of Santo Domingo.

So naturally, the government's answer to criminal abuse and violence is to disallow the law-abiding from carrying guns without "special authorization."

And surprise, surprise:

Earlier this year, a team of 300 police officers and soldiers began searching vehicles at checkpoints and stopping people carrying guns on the streets to ask for permits.

The team confiscates about 1,000 illegally possessed guns a month, Almeyda said. But efforts are hindered by rampant police corruption, he conceded.

"When a police officer tells me his gun has been stolen, I order an immediate investigation because he probably sold it," Almeyda told The Associated Press.

Goodness. You'd think you were living in a Third World hellhole like New Orleans.