Comments on: Crime Story

By: Yocheved

Yocheved — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:13:45 +0000

Hi: your web-page started ON THE NEGATIVE most people don’t read the end of the page; they just get on to hunting for another paradise; instead of realizing that you find it lovable here, otherewise you’d not be here…right?
My advice is…drive agressibly and live agresibly!!! “Be ware” no matter where you live!
I once lived in a very safe neighborhood in Oklahoma, no one locked their cars or homes and then one day we all awoke to boken cars and homes, I mean they even took the seats off my car!!! Since then I live as my wonderful husband says “prepare for the worst and hope for the best”
My sons are “gringos” we take the bus from Chorrera to Panama city.Wherever I go people think I’m loaded with money; I’ve done my research,know what it costs to go from point A to point B so I get my deal before gettin into a taxi, and as with ANY OTHER PLACE on earth am aware of my surroundings!!!I’ve lived in the states 31 years, seen some pretty ugly things even in the goverment and police. I love coming home; the people are humble and take pride in themselves, no matter how poor they are their homes are spotless and their appearance is dignifying, even their old clothes are ironed! Yeah there is the problem of garbage pick up just like Detroit and LA, Miami not so bad. Every paradise has it’s storms! welcome to Panama

By: cojito

cojito — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:21:36 +0000

ted - it depends on where you go.

i really like the people of panama. the natives i encounter are honest and kind. i’ve lived in Panama City for about 5 years. i don’t have a car so i walk a lot. i’ve never had any problems. like any city there’s crime, but if you use common sense you should be fine.

i’m in arizona at the moment, and even with a zillion dollar budget and america’s toughest sheriff, the crime stats are much higher.

By: Jan

Jan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:20:23 +0000

Spent 3 months in Panama. Have been witness of 2 minor crimes only but heard from everybody that crimes are on the rise and to be extremely careful because there are more and more youth gangs and the police is inefficient

By: ted

ted — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:59:22 +0000

hi,just going to panama to investigate if it’s a nice and safe place to live with my family.is it safe to take taxi’s from the airport to my destination?is it safer to rent an apartment or stay in a hotel?is there a lot of gun violence?i checked costa rica last year and didn’t like the people’s unfriendly nature but didn’t see any violence and also didn’t feel unsafe walking through san jose.

By: marcopolo

marcopolo — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:03:32 +0000

i agree with tman. i have been coming to panama for 3-6 weeks at a time regularly since 2005. i don’t set foot in the areas known to be unsafe — same as in the U.S. i agree that poverty is a problem in panama, but it certainly isn’t the only country. my impression has been that poor panamanians are much kinder and more honest than my fellow “needy” americans. they certainly take more pride in their attire and their behavior than even my middle class countrymen. since, in my lifetime, i have been robbed twice at gunpoint in the u.s and ripped off numerous times, it will take more than one bad expei=rience to sour me on panama.

By: Tman

Tman — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:35:23 +0000

pedro…while i dont doubt your story…im amazed at how in such a short period of time you witnessed personally 2 such extreme violent acts here. I have been coming here 3 years and living here almost 2…and have not witnessed one violent act or crime…outside of maybe throwing a coke can out a bus window. sure…theres plenty of crime and poverty here as well as throughout the world…even atlanta as you mention. in most cases though…it is most likely to happen in poor, drug infested neighborhoods…which you seem to happen to like romping around.

you want real street crime, try costa rica…or nicaragua. relatively speaking…i’ll take panama. just stay out of “juan diez”, Chorillo, and other exciting hot spots and you are likely safer here than in atlanta.

By: Pedro

Pedro — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 01:58:58 +0000

I was born in Panama and came to the U.S. on or about eighteen years of age. I recently retired in the U.S. and returned to Panama to spend five months to see if I wanted to move back to my homeland. To my surprise, I found that Panama had changed for the worst and has become a very dangerous place. I found that juveniles commit serious crimes on a regular basis and the judiciary does nothing about it.

To start, upon arrival in Panama, I was told by every one that I knew to take off my watch, gold chain & gold rings. Not withstanding, I live in Atlanta Georgia, one of the most violent Cities in the United States for 20 years, and never encountered a problem while wearing my jewelry.

My second day in Panama, I observed three THUGS beating the living hell out of a yound lady infront of the Legislative Palace in broad daylight in an attempt to rob her. Upon arrival at the location to assist,I found out that the young female was a U.S. citizen working for an American company in Panama.

The three young men beat and robbed the young lady while a group of men stood accross the street observing the brutality and did nothing to help. By the time I came back to the sceene, the three GANG THUGS were walking back into San Miguel a ghetto area in Panama City. I confronted the men standing accross the street and they all told me that the young men were armed with an automatic weapon and they did not want to take any chances.

Two days later, while in the Juan Diaz area, I observed two juveniles shoot another young man in the head. To be honest, this incident was gang related in scope and in nature.

However, wide spread violence is still the norm in Panama and it is evident that the country needs social reform, crime is all over and extreem caution must be shown, it’s sad to see the evil doers constantly intimidating and terrorizing the decent people and the protective forces are incapable of providing protection.

Unfortunately, they themselves are afraid of the criminals. Since the U.S. left Panama, poverty has increased by 30 or 40 percent and we all know that destruction of poor people is poverty. I predict that if the government dont address the problems faced by the poor in Panama, the crime situation will increase and all the expats are going to be running back to the good old USA.

By: fastfreddie

fastfreddie — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 22:00:14 +0000

Jessica; I feel sad for you I know the feeling of having someone you know and maybe even love being the victim of crime. Some become scared I became angry, but it is not possible to fight criminals when the criminals are the people responsible for protecting the innocent. Like police, judges, lawmakers, even the president. When there is no honor, morals or ethics, there is only sadness, for everyone.