Homicide rates soar as police chiefs scatter resources

With over three months to go before year-end, Panama’s homicides have already surpassed the total for 2019.

In 2018, Panama had 300 homicides. In 2019, the number Last year the was 285. In the period from January 1 to August 31, 2020, 345 homicides have been reported., 21% more than the previous year, and

As these figures emerged during the months of the greatest restriction of mobility and social activity that the country has known in more than 30 years, the paradigm of citizen security is in serious trouble according to a  La Prensa analysis.

Currently, the National Police has 18 628 uniformed personnel, including cadets, according to payroll records.

The records also show that the institution has 130 commissioners and 145 deputy commissioners.

When Jorge Miranda took over as Director  In July 2019, he assigned 82 officers to escort him and other senior officials of the institution, as well as the Ministry of Public Security.

If it is assumed as reasonable that the commissioners and deputy commissioners of the National Police have a minimum escort of one agent per shift for their work, and one entity vehicle for their transportation, this represents 275 vehicles and about 1,100 escort agents, not including possible family custody’

Added are officials of the Ministry of Security and the Public Ministry who also receive protection reports La Prensa.

 In March of this year, Miranda reported that 78% of the vehicle fleet had more than 6 years of service and, 54% was out of service due to lack of maintenance.

This  was the justification for requesting the direct hiring of the lease of 219 vehicles including  20 Toyota Prado trucks and another 20 Toyota Fortuner

Presumably, an important part of the fleet is assigned to the escort service of the officials.

If 54% of the entity’s fleet is out of service, then only the remaining 46% had to attend to all the needs of mobilization, escort, citizen security, and surveillance.

This pressure on resources has an obvious impact on the rapid response capacity and coverage of the Police says La Pensa,

Another aspect that greatly limits the availability of police resources and constantly exposes them to sources of corruption is the police custody service of the Penitentiary System.

It is difficult to obtain updated figures but in 2007, according to the then Chief of Police, Rolando Mirones, the institution had 2,000 agents assigned to prisons, for a population 11,345 inmates. In August 2020 there are 17,726 inmates, and the number of uniformed personnel assigned to these tasks has increased proportionally.

The Plan”
In his Government Plan,  President,  Cortizo, proposed a security strategy, which in point 4 stated the: “Recovery of High Complexity Neighborhoods through the Law and Order Plan, to defeat drug trafficking and violence, through prevention and repression ”.

Six months after the strenuous physical, emotional, and family effort of the Police officers to ensure compliance with health measures, now it is their turn to take action to confront organized crime and growing