Rising Crime in Panama Confirms a Plan to Purchase 10,000 Bulletproof Vests for the National Police

Panama: Security Minister Frank Abrego pictured above and below, confirmed that the government is still planning to purchase 10,000 bulletproof vests, where the National Police continue to operate with limited resources and some of their equipment has expired.  According to the official, there are currently around 5,000 vests available, which means they must be used by different units in shifts. While he assured that officers participating in higher-risk operations have protective gear, he acknowledged that not the entire force has access to the equipment simultaneously. 

“We are talking about effectively purchasing 10,000 bulletproof vests precisely because of the rise in the crime rate.  But that is just a plan,” the minister emphasized, making it clear that the measure has not yet been implemented.  Abrego also indicated that talks are ongoing with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to finalize the acquisition this year. However, the fact that the process remains in the planning stage reflects a gap between operational needs and institutional capacity to respond.  Amid rising crime, the situation exposes police units that, in some cases, must perform their duties without permanent access to a bulletproof vest, while the solution remains, for now, only on paper.