Bonnie Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 It is reported on Facebook (Boquete Community News) that a young woman was robbed by a knife-wielding man at San Francisco Plaza. The post is by a woman named AdelinaKathy Mancebo (no space between Adelina and Kathy), who says that the victim is her son's girlfriend. Allegedly, police told her they could do nothing unless she had the man's name and, if and when apprehended, he had her phone and other things (unspecified) in his possession at the time of the apprehension. Any number of people are outraged by this, as evidenced by the responses on Facebook. Can this be true? If so, it leads me to ask exactly what the limitations are under which the police work here. While there is widespread dissatisfaction with law enforcement in Boquete (and perhaps all of Panama), there seem to be opposing factions that suggest different explanations for police ineffectiveness. One faction, most vocally represented by ACC Boquete, advocates support for the local police to enable them to do their jobs better. Another faction maintains that the police basically are lazy, have no interest in investigating and enforcing the law. A third view is that the laws of Panama are so weak that the hands of the police are tied. I don't recall any of these viewpoints presenting much in the way of facts to support their positions. I would like to hear the views of someone with more knowledge than I possess about criminal law and law enforcement in Panama. What is the true situation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 (edited) Judging by the comments on that page, it seems that many people, including Panamanians, are confused about the role of the Police here and their limitations. For example, the Mayor is not in charge of the Police. Also, they are not the entity that does criminal investigations. Edited October 7, 2018 by Keith Woolford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said: Judging by the comments on that page, it seems that many people, including Panamanians, are confused about the role of the Police here and their limitations. For example, the Mayor is not in charge of the Police. Also, they are not the entity that does criminal investigations. Okay. In the case of my home robbery about two months ago, the Police came to the house to take a statement. I then went to both the Personeria and the Corregidora to file a denuncia. It was the police who had the perp's photo on their phone, but you seem to be suggesting that by law they do no investigation. Presumably, this is done by the DOJ. This is exactly what everyone is confused about. Also, if the police don't investigate crime, what else is left for them to do? Edited October 7, 2018 by Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted October 7, 2018 Moderators Share Posted October 7, 2018 45 minutes ago, Bonnie said: It is reported on Facebook (Boquete Community News)... We did a search on Facebook for this report or anything close to it, but cannot find it. Can someone assist in providing a reference link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 I find it very hard to share anything from Facebook, but try this: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boquetecommunity/permalink/2041736432555187/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Quote Also, if the police don't investigate crime, what else is left for them to do? "Community based policing", I believe. “Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 I have no idea what this means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted October 7, 2018 Moderators Share Posted October 7, 2018 3 hours ago, Bonnie said: I find it very hard to share anything from Facebook, but try this: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boquetecommunity/permalink/2041736432555187/ Access was a problem because you had said "Boquete Community News". It turns out that it is" Boquete Community Group", and the word group was really important in the search algorithm. One would think that Facebook would be a bit more intelligent. Oh well. Then adding insult to injury, apparently one has to register to be able to see that content on Facebook. Let's see if I get "approved" (their term). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF13 Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Bonnie, community policing is a catch phrase designed to make you feel good because pilice management, in the not so distant past, removed beat coppers from the streets to more efficiently respond to incidents using cars. When it was realised that there was no longer any interaction between the police and the public (who can talk to a police officer who is driving by at 50 mph?) the phrase was invented to make it seem like management was doing something. Arghhhh, I'm too old and have seen too much! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 Sorry, Bud. I know it’s Boquete Community Group but mixed it up with Boquete News (which, in turn, I often confuse with News Boquete.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted October 8, 2018 Moderators Share Posted October 8, 2018 20 hours ago, Moderator_02 said: Then adding insult to injury, apparently one has to register to be able to see that content on Facebook. Let's see if I get "approved" (their term). Still waiting for "approval" to view their content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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