Solution to Clean up Crime in Panama Fails to Deliver

The Attorney General's Office may not deliver the promised regional prosecutorial processing offices that were announced by Marcelino Agilar, Fiscal Auxiliary, at a meeting held at Ranchos Los Toros in June of 2013. The meeting, was a follow up with community, police and representatives of various government departments. The event was held in response to a number of violent home and business invasions that happened in the area, which appeared to be gang related. At the June meeting Agilar advised that 2 new prosecutors and offices would be assigned to the areas of Chame and San Carlos. The coming offices would ease the reporting and processing of crimes in the area. The offices would have been 2 of 78 new offices scheduled for opening across Panama with the aim of fighting gang related crime. Now it appears that those offices may not open, due to budget allocations. An angry Ana Belfon, Attorney General of Panama, showed up at the National Assembly carrying a banner declaring: “Cerrado el Ministerio Público por falta de recursos y materials”. ‘Public Ministry closed because of lack of resources and materials'. Belfon indicated that one of the major challenges that the Public Ministry faces are gangs, which are responsible for crimes such as drugs, robberies and homicides.

The Attorney General's office had requested $144 Million budget, however the Ministry of Economy and Finance recommended $74.2 Million. Ana Belfon remarked that the budget impedes the creation of 78 new prosecutorial offices that are scheduled to be installed at the districts of San Miguelito, La Chorrera and Arraiján. With an increasing population in these areas, crime has also seen a rise.

It is unclear if the promised offices of San Carlos and Chame will also get the budget axe.

This news comes as a blow to many expat residents in Panama's Beach communities, who feel that yet another promise from authorities to clean up the crime in the area has fallen short. At an earlier Police and Community meeting held in February of this year, Police advised that a violent robbery that took place at a local Hotel / Restaurant, Rancho Los Toros was 80% solved. The police had collected evidence, including photos from a cell phone. However to date the robbery remains unsolved, in fact the same place was violently robbed again with some of the same criminals in attendance.

With a rising international population investing in businesses and property along Panama's Pacific Coast, one hopes that Panama pays attention to the issue of solving crime. If that doesn't happen we are likely to see an exodus of people leaving a depressed Pacific Coast, before the area even has a chance to become a booming metropolis.