POLICE STATS

Violence on the rise

11-14-2008 | RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ

rrodriguez@laestrella.com.pa

Panama Star PANAMA. The wave of crime in Panama keeps increasing, and police statistics show that it is well above the level during Mireya Moscoso’s presidential term, when the “mano dura” (tough on crime) policy was implemented.

On the first 12 days of this month, 19 murders, 63 shootings, and 321 thefts have been reported.

Citizens’ security is falling to pieces, and Panamanian society does not have any offensive measure to combat organized crime.

The four superior prosecutors of the Public Ministry recognize that they now have more work to do. “We can’t even finish investigating one case before getting others,” commented one of them.

The former attorney general, Rogelio Cruz, believes that the policies to repress delinquents are not bringing good results. However, he warns that the president’s security decrees are not going to solve the rise in crime. Instead, he believes the government should revise crime prevention programs.