Increased Crime in David and Boquete area?

[ROBERT MASTERSON]

Linda, I have been reading lately about what appears to be increasing crime etc in the David, Boquete and Volcan area, as well as a border incident with expats and the police. Would you comment on this situation and what about the future for the area? Is the increasing police force in Boquete going to be able to take care of it. While I am not overly concerned about my personal safety at this time, I am interested because my wife and I have rented a house in Boquete for Feb and March. Is this increasing crime problem a national issue or is it local to the Boquete area, for example, is there a similar trend in PC and Coronado? Thanks for your insight. Bob

[COUNTRY EXPERT – LINDA CARD]

Hi Bob and thanks for posting. You’ve raised a very important issue for all of us, no matter where we live, namely our safety and security.

Unfortunately, there has been some increase in crime in Chiriquí in the last couple of months. Incidents are covered in local news and many online sites, which is a good thing. I went to a meeting about this in Boquete at the Tuesday Market two weeks ago, and four members of the Panamanian police forces were there to speak to the large group (about 150 people). The police and government of Panama take security very seriously.

Officials say they have a moratorium on leave for Chiriquí police personnel and other measures to ensure all available manpower to investigate and make arrests. We were told an additional 200 police officers will be assigned to western Panama by the end of the year. Boquete has a new police chief who was among those present at the meeting I attended. He said he is committed to the security of the residents of Boquete, said his door is always open to those who want to talk with him, and he views the police and residents as a team, working together for everyone’s safety. They stressed the Neighborhood Watch program (Vecinos Vigilantes in Spanish) and encouraged residents to join the program in their communities. So there are a number of efforts both locally and nationally to deal with crime and increase awareness. We’re not sure yet whether this was just a wave of crimes of opportunity, but at least three arrests have been made in the last couple of weeks.

There is a volunteer group here that you may also have read about, Alto al Crimen or Stop Crime. They work with the police to help prevent crime and solve cases when something happens. They and other security experts have been very active in response to these recent incidents, improving their services, being more visible and pro-active in the community and offering home and personal security advice and products. So there’s a lot going on within the expat community, too.

I don’t know if there have been similar events in the rest of Panama, but I have not read or heard of any major new concerns. We will never be crime-free, anywhere we live, sad to say.

The incident at the border that I read about concerned Aduana (Customs) and plants, and is a completely different issue, unrelated to the recent crimes in Chiriquí. Recent reports indicate that Customs and Immigration are enforcing existing laws at the border. So it appears the days of lax enforcement are over, and we all need to be aware of the laws and remain in compliance with them.

Ironically, these recent crimes may end up being a valuable lesson, a wake-up call to shake us out of our complacent daily lives! Panama is still a very safe country and Chiriquí is a wonderful place to live. Boquete is an awesome community, both in its physical beauty and community-spirited people. We all need to be aware that no place is perfect, we must take responsibility for our own security as much as we can, and enjoy life.

Thanks again for your post, and we welcome other replies as well. I hope you have a wonderful visit to Boquete next year!!
Sincerely, Linda

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Great update Linda! Yes, very true, no place is completely free of crime, and despite its reputation as a modern, prosperous country, Panama too has its crime and bad areas. In Panama City and Coronado crime tends to be non-confrontational or opportunity crime, so I still feel very safe living in the city and visiting Coronado often. I avoid bad areas, which are quite apparent and hard to stumble into, as most fringe the city. Random violent crime is pretty much unknown here. Most crimes are for money, not aimed at hurting random people. In recent weeks the opposition newspaper, Panama America (owned by the former president), has been publishing articles daily about “the people’s increased perception of insecurity” but the current administration says crime stats show a decrease, not an increase in crime. Homicides are down and I can’t remember the last time I worried about my car being broken into (maybe in the 90s), but I do take care not to leave my cell phone lying around so it doesn’t get swiped, that type of thing will happen if one is careless. Like most people who grew up in the States, I am also always very aware of my surroundings, particularly when parking or walking to my car. Overall, most expats here agree it is easy to not become a target because crime does not tend to be random or confrontational. Hope this helps. Best, Jessica

[ROBERT MASTERSON]

Linda and Jessica,

Thanks much for your resposes. this positive infomration is valuable and useful as we evaluate our future in Panama. Nothing that has happened has disuaded us from coming down in Jan, Feb and March to rent in Coranado and Boquete.

Bob

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Thanks Bob, we hope you have a wonderful visit! Feel free to post any thoughts about the experience!

Best,

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