Crime in Panama

Crime in Panama is moderate but becoming more frequent, particularly because of the narcotics-trafficking related violence and activities of youth gangs. Police checkpoints have become common place on weekends on roads in between cities. Based upon reported incidents by local police, the high-crime areas around Panama City are San Miguelito, Rio Abajo, El Chorrillo, Ancón, Curundu, Veracruz Beach, Panama Viejo, and the Madden Dam overlook.

The crimes plague metropolitan areas and include rapes, armed robberies, muggings, purse-snatchings, "express kidnappings" from ATM banking facilities, in which the victim is briefly kidnapped and robbed after withdrawing cash from an ATM, and petty theft. There have been several targeted kidnappings in Panama with the complicity of corrupt law enforcement.

Government Action

Curfews

Starting from July 19, Panamanian authorities have applied a curfew policy for youths under 18. Restrictions consist of students who are attending night classes must carry with them a permit or identification card, provided by the school or an official certified person.Youths under 18 that are caught without these requirements,are subject to detention at a police station until they release the youths to their legal guardians. A fine around $50.00 is issued to the legal guardians if the youth is apprehended for the first time.

Curfews consist of special strategic checkpoints around the main streets in Panama, where each person inside a vehicle must carry their Identification Cards or be accompanied by their Legal Guardians. Authorities have helped slowly decrease the amount of unattended youths that are loitering around the streets concerning people's safety; since most of the thefts and kidnappings are carried out by minors.

Type of Crimes

Express Kidnappings

Panamanian authorities have conducted a study, in which it indicates that almost 90% of express kidnappings are unreported due to the threat that thieves impose on the victim and relatives of the victim. The procedure of express kidnapping consist of abducting the victim and take possession of valuable things such as cellphones, watches, credit cards, cash, and jewelry. Besides taking all of the victim's valuable possession, the kidnappers make the victim withdraw money from different ATM locations.

Once the kidnapper is satisfied the abducted is usually released. In some other cases, the kidnappers may ask for ransom money for the release of the victim. This long process of kidnapping is slowly decreasing, since kidnappers are persuaded to earn a quick and fast payoff without complicated negotiations with relatives.

Drug Trafficking

In the last decades Panama has been one of the important connections for shipping narcotics to the US and other countries. The International Narcotics Control Strategy has reported that traffickers have managed to smuggle narcotics through the country's uncontrolled transportation system, such as airfields, coastlines, containerized seaports and highways. The FARC(Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) has also contributed the drug increase in the country.

Many of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) soldiers who seek shelter and refugee from Colombian Armed Forces, cross the border between Darien and Colombia. Since the presence of the FARC in Panama, drug trafficking has been increasing in large numbers. Waterways are being watched carefully by the Panamanian Naval Forces, but the FARC has adapted their ways of smuggling narcotics through the land across Panama.

Street Gangs

The first Panamanian Gangs appeared during the late 1980s and increased in great amount when the Panamanian Army was disbanded in 1990 due to the "United States invasion of Panama". A 2009 census reported that there exist around 108 street gangs, some of them are:

• Vietnam 23
• Patrulla del Terror
• Blue Demond, Kilimanjaros, Rugrats
• Chicanos
• Toca y Muere
• Cofos
• Sicilianos
• Hijos del Banano
• Los Perros
• Sopranos
• Los Ninos Capos
• Nueva Ola
• Chacales
• Los Wereber

More than 1,600 youths between the ages 13 to 15 are related to youth gangs. Most of the youth gangs are fueled by drugs. The transit and presence of drugs have been fueling the increase of youth gangs.

See also

• Penal system of Panama
• Domestic violence in Panama
• Law enforcement in Panama

References

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_994.html#crime

http://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_12/issue_14/business_05.html