Safety and the Single Woman

[JUDITH KIRBY]

I am very interested in Panama, the Boquete area. I want to travel there next spring to visit both Panama City and Boquete. My question is this: I am a widow, 63 yrs old. So many of the articles and things I see online have to do with couples who have moved to Panama for their retirement years. I see very little about a woman my age doing that some thing, but doing it by herself. Safety is of prime concern to me. I love all I read about Panama, but I don’t see this addressed too much.

Can you, and others, give me some inside information on the topic?

Thanks.

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Dear Judith,

Panama is one of the safer countries in the region. You’ll hear this statement everywhere you go in Panama, and parroted by the mainstream media. Many expats here will tell you it’s hard to make yourself a target for violence here, and only if you go looking for trouble will it find you.

I myself am single and live alone in Panama City, and have for over eight years. I travel the country, usually on my own, without fear. I blend in, do not have a car or attire to make me look wealthy, and have learned to speak Spanish.

People sometimes make the mistake of letting their guard down completely…something they’d never do back home. It’s important to remember that no place on earth is free from crime. Big cities (and small ones, too) always have good and bad areas.

That said, there are many positives that continue to draw people to Panama. It continues to grow its middle class and make successful efforts to reduce poverty. Panama City has a cadre of tourist police and crimes against tourists—or any foreigners, for that matter—are seriously dealt with. Panamanians are welcoming of foreign tourists and residents. There isn’t the envy or racial tension you might find in economically deprived countries. Perhaps because Panama is a land of opportunity, and locals who strive to improve their lot can go far.

Many of the expats we have interviewed in Boquete list safety as one of their reasons for living there, and this includes many single women (many of them over the age of 40).

You can read about expats who moved to Boquete on their own, like Penny Ripple, whose interview is posted at: https://internationalliving.com/2013/10/its-easy-to-make-friends-in-boquete-panama/ ad Louise Orr, see: https://internationalliving.com/2013/01/theres-no-such-thing-as-boredom-in-boquete-panama/

Local organizations like Alto al Crimen have helped improve reporting of crimes and, importantly, much of the crime in Boquete is non-violent (petty theft and break-ins).

That said it is important to do as the locals do…have some kind of security and avoid making yourself an easy target.

It is important to note that safety is relative. Latin American cities (and U.S. cities) tend not to rank amongst the top 20 safest in the world according to indexes by organizations like Mercer. Generally Canada and European countries take the top spots.

Cities tend to have more people and thus proportionately more crime than towns like Boquete. (That said, I live in Panama City full-time and feel perfectly safe going out alone, be it during the day or late at night. Every city has its good and bad areas, so I stick to good areas. Most of downtown Panama City–the financial district and surrounding areas–is perfectly safe. You’ll see restaurants and little bars open till late and people walking down the avenues.)

Don’t just take our word for it. Talk to expats and locals when you visit. Many of the expats living here will tell you that they feel safe. Many comment about the visible police presence and experiences with helpful members of the police. These same expats also agree that it’s best to use common sense and never take safety for granted. It all boils down to not making yourself a target.

Regards,

[JUDITH KIRBY]

Thank you for that. As my trip gets closer, i will do much more research on expat groups in both cities. I would like to meet and talk to others there.

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Great idea!

[killen39609]

TO: Panama Insider
FROM: Tim Killen
SUBJECT: Security: Single women
DATE: April 23, 2014

After half a dozen extensive visits over five years, I have come to agree that the members of the national police force are “VERY PROFESSIONAL”. Although some of them ought to brush up on their map reading skills.

They really look out for foreigners, which is a good thing considering how absent minded I am. Arriving at the Wyndham hotel casino ( well equipped with security cameras ), one night, I left my laptop computer on the back shelf of a taxi. The casino security manager obtained the license& REGISTRATION number of the cab, a pedestrian officer of the tourist police used this to obtain the cellphone number of the driver, who answered his call. He did not yet know the computer case was in his vehicle. Dropping off his fare, he drove to the hotel and with the police verifying it was mine, he returned it to me. All within 40 minutes. This is head and shoulders above most Latin American police forces, where, often, neighborhood offices lack a lost & found department.

The cab driver received a very generous tip. It was obvious he did not relish interacting with the police officers, something that can only bring trouble in most any land. I was strongly to present the senior police officer with an emolument. But I did not dare. He certainly did deserve to receive one. Later I penned a letter of commendation, but whether or not this ever found its way into his personnel file or could be read & understood, we will never know.

Once, in Santo Domingo, DR, I picked up, off the sidewalk, the address book and appointment book of a man with a hispanic name and an address in that city, and carried it across the street to the precinct office. The sergeant on duty looked it over, then asked: “what do you want me to do with it ?” I expect this is what would happen in Nicaragua, Honduras, etc. It would be helpful if you could could compare salaries across a range of Latin American countries. In terms of purchasing power, with terms & CONDITIONS. Police corruption typically starts when officers no longer receive a living wage (usually due to frozen salaries, while inflation accelerates). Then the habit of demanding informal compensation for service gets started.

This said, Panama’s police are better at responding to the scene of a crime than at prevention, at threatening the criminal element as a deterrent, or at detecting and prosecuting perpetrators.

As in most countries the foot patrolman, who walks the streets at night checking for unlocked doors among householders and tradesmen, whom he knows as friends, is a thing of the past. In rural Panama (and parts of the City) doors and windows of houses are barred, as in Hialeah, Opa Locka and other Miami suburbs. Guard dogs make the night hideous with unnecessary barking to persuade their owners they are earning their keep. Even some police stations are protected with razor wire over the bars. A single woman living in a single family house would be well advised to adopt these precautions. This is why so many of Panama’s residents live in gated communities & doorman guarded apartment buildings. In short, you buy your security a la carte, rather than paying big taxes to municipality & state to handle it for you.

Except in the very few desperate slums in the center of the country, I feel very secure on the streets and roads. I often hitchhike in rural areas, and when driving a car or truck, pick up a lot of pedestrians who are headed my way. I have never had a bad experience with this.

Criminals seem to be rather amateurish, being drawn, casually, to any show of immediately vendable, portable wealth. In a mugging, immediate abandonment of the valuables would, likely send the perpetrators flying. Identity theft, kidnapping, car theft and more complicated crimes may occurr. If so, the existence of these threats has been hidden from the media by the authorities with a skill that is very difficult for anyone to believe. That is: anyone familiar with the free press of this successful nation.
Sincerely, Tim Killen 1 561 659 3742
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[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Thank you Tim, for sharing your opinions and thoughts.

Though Panama is known as a safe country, no country in the world is devoid of crime. Panama has its fair share, though as you note it is easy to keep from becoming a target by emulating locals. Importantly, violent crime is less common than petty crime here. And senseless crimes (i.e., random targets) are virtually unheard of here.

Local medial sources do report on crime…everything from credit card fraud to “express kidnapping” is not suppressed but rather highlighted in local papers, on radio and television shows, and lately, in pre-presidential election debates. Most of this is in Spanish.

Regards,

Jessica

[CLAIREE MEEKS]

Thanks for this information. I, too, am a single widow interested in becoming a resident (at least part-time) of Panama, and like Judith, am interested in the Boquete area as opposed to Panama city. Though we have these things in common, I am considerably older than Judith, but in pretty good health. I have one health issue, but it’s more of an annoyance than any big deal, though I know it will become more of a problem as the years go by. I shall of course be prepared to return to the U.S. if my health deteriorates badly, though I’m hoping that is several years down the pike. I do not require medical services on a regular basis (I see my doctor once a year). I also plan to rent rather than buy until I am sure that my plan is a practical one for my circumstances.
I am tentatively planning on going to Panama for a month or so next fall – want to be there in the rainy season to see how I like it then. Can anyone direct me to whom and where I should try to find a residential rental agency that they know through personal experience, or reputation that is reliable and honest, and will work with me on a short-term rental. I don’t want to end up renting something unlivable. Thanks in advance…………. Clairee Meeks

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Dear Clairee,

Thanks for your post.

I would recommend contacting Pathfinder International Real Estate for a referral/contact information.

• Pathfinder International Real Estate; e-mail: info@pathfinderinternational.net; website:www.pathfinderinternational.net.

If you get a chance, would you be so kind as to copy and paste your post into a new thread? We would really appreciate it, as this thread is about safety and your question is about a different topic, real estate. I only ask that you do this, if you don’t mind, so as to make it easier for your fellow Panama Insiders to find a read posts relevant to their questions.

I’d do it for you if I could, but it’s preferable your post show up under your name and not mine.

If it’s too much trouble don’t worry about it at all!

If you have any other questions please feel free to email me panama@internationalliving.com or start a new thread.

Best regards,

Jessica

[CLAIREE MEEKS]

OK Jessica – done! I edited it somewhat so it would make sense to someone reading it. I am/was also concerned with safety though…..
Clairee

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Appreciate it Clairee!

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