‘I Hope That It Gets Taken Down’: Panama’s President Mulino Opposes the Mizrachi Municipal Police

President José Raúl Mulino joined the debate surrounding the Panama City Municipal Police. He did so this Saturday, August 8, through his social media account, with a message calling for the new security force to be “disbanded.”  I’m against the new concept of a municipal police force. It was created to protect parks and monuments and shouldn’t be transformed into another type of police force. Besides being unconstitutional, any mayor could do the same thing, and it would be a disaster, not to mention the uniforms that are easily confused with those of the SPI (State Investigation Service). The legality of Agreement 162 is being debated in the Supreme Court.

More Ranks, New Weapons and Other Rules: This is How the Panama Municipal Police Changed

The official who guards a park or market in the capital district is no longer called a watchman. Today, he is an officer who can be promoted to corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, or major, and his initial equipment includes “issued weapons.”  Agreement 46 of 2017, issued during the mayorship of José Isabel Blandón, organized a body of “municipal guards”, with a hierarchy of administrative names: municipal guard I, II and III, supervisors and heads of surveillance.

Agreement 162 created a police structure with new ranks, regulated the carrying of weapons, and expanded the powers of its agents.