New Officers and Patrols will Reinforce Security in Bocas del Toro Hotspots

The province of Bocas del Toro will receive 50 new National Police officers in the coming weeks, along with more patrols that will join the surveillance work in different parts of the area.  The reinforcement was confirmed by the Minister of Public Security, Frank Abrego, during a tour of the province.   He explained that the uniformed officers will enter the streets as soon as they graduate, in about 15 days. The new police officers will be sent to areas where more problems have been reported, especially thefts in plantations, a situation that has generated concern in several communities in Bocas del Toro.  During the visit, they also discussed the new police headquarters in Changuinola.

The offices will be located in the former Chiquita Panamá building, a place that had been closed and unused for more than ten years.  Regarding Operation Odysseus, Abrego noted that arrests have been made and that surveillance is being maintained in neighborhoods with higher crime rates, as part of the ongoing operations in the province.  Another issue that came up was the border crossing with Costa Rica. Authorities are working to open pedestrian crossings and improve the flow of people, trade, and tourism in the area.  These coordination efforts involve Migration, Senafront, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health, along with the Government of Bocas del Toro.