Panama Mayor Mizrachi Created the Municipal Police: The Government through the Supreme Court Seeks an Annulment

The law transformed the then-Department of Surveillance of the Mayor’s Office into the Municipal Police, giving it new functions and a ‘more professional’ structure.  The Panamanian central government is seeking to block the Municipal Police created by Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi in the Supreme Court. The Ministry of Public Security (Minseg) filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court (Sala Tercera de la Corte Suprema de Justicia) seeking to annul the Municipal Police. The government argues that the Municipal Police—created under Municipal Agreement No. 162—encroaches on the constitutional jurisdictions and authorities that belong exclusively to the national security forces.  Before this government action, the National Police also filed a constitutional challenge against the measure, citing concerns over the specialized, militaristic ranking system established by the mayor’s office.