Homicides surge during pandemic
Crime in Panama continues unabated during the pandemic despite lockdowns, curfews, and mobility restrictions
Public Ministry statistics show that from January 1 to September 30, there were 384 homicides, 16% more cases than for the same period of 2019 when 331 cases were reported.
Most of the killings occurred in Colón (67) and Panama Oeste (75) and the district of San Miguelito in the province of Panama (51). In the interior, Chiriquí has the highest number of homicides with 14
There have been 24 femicides in the country, 50% more than in 2019 when there were only 16 by September.
The most recent crime figures against economic assets from August 1 to 30, 2020, and which includes robbery and theft, account for 1,259 cases reported in the First Judicial District, which includes the most populated provinces of Panama. , Panamá Oeste, Colón, Darién and the district of San Miguelito. This represents about 40 crimes per day on average.
For sociologist Danilo Toro, criminal activity since before Covid-19 had already been registering a certain increase and now they took advantage of the state of emergency. “The criminal world has never entered and will not go into quarantine or confinement. On the contrary, they see it as an opportunity ”, he said.
Faced with this increase in homicides and other crimes, the National Police, the Naval Air Service, and the National Border Service issued an accountability report in early October on their actions during the month of September.
The Police detailed that in different operations at the national level, the agents managed to capture 3,632 people, including 223 for the crime of micro-trafficking and drug trafficking, and 26 people for their involvement in homicide cases. In addition, 155 firearms were seized, most of them involved in criminal acts.
The National Air Service has carried out nine anti-drug operations, managing to seize a total of 4,445 packages of illicit substances, of which 4,355 were cocaine.
Units of the Traffic Operations Directorate imposed a total of 47,193 infractions, of which 17,994 were for speeding.
