jonoyakker
7/2/2016 07:57 EST
That is certainly not the Panama that I know. Wow-total BS in my experience. I have been here 3 1/2 years and never had one issue with safety. There is some gang activity in bad areas in the largest cities and some drug running but you should never encounter that. The US State Dept. should write a report on safety in the US but there wouldn't be enough data space on their computers to hold it!
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capforfun
7/2/2016 08:07 EST
I might suggest to anyone when trying to put crime in perspective that you run a crime report on your favorite city in the US or even the one you live in now, you might be surprised!
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StanleySankey
7/2/2016 09:07 EST
Not sure where you were reading that but it certainly is not the official report.
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/panama.html
Certainly avoid Colon and certain districts of Panama City, Which ones will be evident the first time you see them.
The two concerns with taxis is they will almost always try to overcharge you and few of them know how to drive properly.
I have been in the interior going on four years and the only issue I have had on mountain roads at night is wandering cattle.
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Jkulbach
7/2/2016 10:44 EST
I appreciate your comment. I was reading various reports. Perhaps the most respected is from OSAC. a US govt agency.
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Jkulbach
7/2/2016 10:49 EST
Thanks for your feedback. I was reading several sites including the OSAC report issued by US. Also, your link mentions express kidnapping too. Seems it's mentioned too many places not to be reality.
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capforfun
7/2/2016 11:45 EST
So my son is looking for a new apt in Tallahassee and I found this tool online that links with GIS data (mapping). Anyway he was looking at this one apt in a decent neighborhood, literally across the street from the FSU campus. Anyway I looked up crime incidents within a 1/4 mile over the last 365 days. The list was long, robberies, car theft, assaults, etc.
My point is if you had this type of report for the entire Chiriqui provence no one would move there.
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dumluk
7/2/2016 12:53 EST
Or asian water buffalo in my case.....that was a costly midnite surprize. Violent crime level generally pretty low outside of Pan C. and Colon, but never the less, there have been a fair few violent home invasions in Boquete, Potreillos and Dolega,not to mention David..........armed assaults.......people killed or injured, some still in the hospital as afar as I know, and the bad guyz still at large.......So it does happen and it pays to be vigilant and careful and considered.........All things considered, David is about as dangerous as Bakersfield, Ca...........in other words, not very........
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capforfun
7/2/2016 13:39 EST
BTW - My point is not that Chiriqui is bad actually, I would suspect against most other US comparisons it would be much better.
Perspective is the point in all situations :-)
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Jkulbach
7/2/2016 13:59 EST
Doesn't that make the report more valuable? Can't ignore statistics because one doesn't want to know. I also read that it's estimated 90% of express kidnapping goes unreported because of fear of reprisal.
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Hugemeister
7/2/2016 17:20 EST
Agree with jonoyakker....total B.S. 4 trips...10-18 days per in 3 years and personally ALWAYS felt safe in the city or back country....
I see post like this and I just see FEAR and a hint of xenophobic/racism....seems easy to believe sometimes.....bars on the windows everywhere and lots of poverty can make one paranoid and believing an azz raping awaits around every corner....
Common sense and some awareness of surrounding necessary here as anywhere else back in states....petty theft crime and such for sure.....but would insist violent crime and real bodily danger and such as probable as lightning strike. Sometimes...but RARELY....
Don't make too many decisions on your happiness and peace based on small improbability and fear mongering....my .02$
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Jkulbach
7/2/2016 17:25 EST
Woah. I'm looking to move there not make short visits. I'm asking because I want the expat experience to balance the govt reports I'm reading. Or is it the govt rpts you're calling racist?
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Panabud
7/2/2016 23:32 EST
It's a different kind of crime threat in Panama. Aside from the usual petty theft expats need to protect themselves from home invasions. The odds are low, however compared to the U.S. there's much higher risk for an expat in Panama. Home invasions are usually violent and sometimes deadly. There's also white collar crime in Panama where you get ripped off and there is no recourse. There are no real stats regarding crime in Panama other than nationwide murder rate. Whereas in the USA every call to law enforcement gets logged so it appears to have lots of crime activity. In Panama most crimes happen that the public never hears about. So that metric can't be relied upon. You will probably not get mugged in Panama. It's the home invasion I would be concerned about. That's why it's important to have a high fence with barbed wire and dogs and of course bars on windows.
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jonoyakker
7/2/2016 23:57 EST
One of my considerations about Panama vs. the USA is that the States just seems to be getting more and more crazy and corrupt by the day. Things in Panama are improving. We have many former gov. officials in jail and I look for the former Prez. to join them.
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stgibson
7/4/2016 17:03 EST
We have been in Chiriqui for 4 years now and back and forth to Costa Rica for over 25 years. We lived on a small rural island in SC for 35 years and I see no difference in the crime rate between here and there. It was actually on the increase there when we left. If you act like an idiot an idiot you will be.
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stgibson
7/4/2016 17:05 EST
BTW, I trust US Government reports about as much as I trust IL magazine, they each have their venues.
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Jkulbach
7/5/2016 03:41 EST
True, but I don't think every victim is an idiot I'm particularly concerned about express kidnapping. Seems like it could happen even when cautious.
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Hugemeister
7/5/2016 07:47 EST
Boo! Ooogga Booooga!!!!!
Stay home, arm up, hoarde ammo and listen to talk radio while Fox 'news' plays in background on TV.....
Maybe Panama ain't for you dude....
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Panama2017
7/5/2016 08:52 EST
Trust me. You would lose your mind worrying about crime and kidnapping if you lived in Panama. Stay home.
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jonoyakker
7/5/2016 09:32 EST
2017, you are being sarcastic? I find that when a person is in an unknown place, fears naturally arise.
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Jkulbach
7/5/2016 09:33 EST
I lived in the middle east for three years and absolutely loved it. Because of that I know not to just trust reports. That's why I am reaching out to you folks to find out the reality.
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Jkulbach
7/5/2016 10:05 EST
No not at all. I have read disturbing reports, so I came to this forum to get real perspective.
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Panama2017
7/5/2016 10:35 EST
I suppose it was sarcasm. But several people have tried to assume this poster about the relative safety and nature of crime in Panama. And the poster just persists in digging for the info that they want to hear. Now why would I move somewhere that would keep me up at night with worry. I wouldn't do it.
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Lamastus
7/5/2016 11:02 EST
I have been living in Panama City of David for 3 1/2 years and yes we have petty crime but nothing like the states.
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jonoyakker
7/5/2016 11:21 EST
2017, it's like the saying, "wherever I go, I am always here". You can move all you want but one's inner person remains the same.
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Panama2017
7/5/2016 14:29 EST
I am in Panama right now, but back home in Chicago, they celebrated Independence Day with 62 shootings and 4 homocides.
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llseldon
7/5/2016 15:29 EST
I sure get tire of hearing about Chicago,,NYC & LA. you're living in or considering Panamá, stay focused.
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Panama2017
7/5/2016 15:58 EST
Llseldon, everything expats experience is through the lense of life in Panama relative to something, s9mewhere. Would you rather hear about Orlando, Saudi Arabia or Bahgdad.
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outsidecleanupset
7/5/2016 19:25 EST
Here we go, Boo whooo guy up top there. Mexs ,got up to go surf in my rented room place called Tecoman. Only to be greeted by a jack up coke head federale who just killed two Aussie week earlier. Walk me back into my room . all I had was travel checks {1988}, took me out to the papaya fields with a 45 to the head in the aussies truck . We waited till the bank open 2 hours in the field . gave him the cash and went back to the states. I 've been living here in panama with my wife for 8 years {retired fireman from a big city} Bocas 2015, drove over the mountain to see and surf with my buddy along with my wife and son. Last nite in town there , My wife and son went out to get pizza and I went to hang with the one of the Mayors of Bocas to have some beers and say our good bys . Went back to my buddys house where we always stay. Only to find my wife lying lifeless in the ditch outside the gate. I thought she got hit by a car. Its 9;30pm. she had caught a cab because she felt sick and our son stay at the pizza joint. They poison her with that date rape drug [Rohypnol} I have seen this stuff plenty of times in my job. the cab driver threw her out to the ditch because she threw up in the cab. thank god for the ditch ,because the ditch had her head down. keeping her from aspiration. After sending my buddy to find my son and going to ER to get some fluids flowing . We got up and took it back to the house, Hell of a nite! OK the moral of the story. To the original poster. If you look at all the areas of crime in Panama . look at the color of the side you see the crime . Oh by the way my sons friend was in bocas a week before on honeymoon ,got robed at gunpoint by a tall black guy walking that trial behind Red frog
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Jkulbach
7/7/2016 21:50 EST
What I have heard here, is how passionately expats defend Panama. That tells me lots and sends a very positive message.
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expatdude
7/8/2016 00:43 EST
Dude what do you expect, it's Bocas? Shady town. I'm the only guy I know in Panama (amongst the Panamanians) that hasn't been robbed in Bocas.
Worst one I heard was from colleague in my office (girl, late twenties), she was walking in Bocas town at 7pm heading to a bar with a girlfriend, a Jamaican/Barbados slummy Bocas guy put a gun to her back, made her empty the atm, took her back to their room and thank god just robbed them. Both girls are Panamanian, they were staying three buildings from the police station. Bocas is shady.
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Panama2017
7/9/2016 10:34 EST
Unfortunately triffic, I am not catching your drift. What the heck do you mean by that?
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dumluk
7/9/2016 13:58 EST
Do we have a translator out there somewhere for cleanup set? Or a ghost writer maybe? See ya in the lineup Cleanupset.........
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gvida
3/8/2017 22:41 EST
I'd like to move to the Boquete area, but this post is leaving me with second thoughts.
Are there any other cities in the area, not as crime-ridded and good for a single woman? I like the weather and having access to medical facilities and shopping.
Are there other good cities in the same area with shopping and medical access?
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gvida0825
3/9/2017 08:05 EST
Then, I just have to remember that in terms of crime, it's not much better than the US.
It's not like I don't use common sense anyway and I certainly know that locals can spot a gringo right away and may be tempted to take advantage of us.
Thanks.
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stgibson
3/10/2017 08:01 EST
@givda
Yes, we live near Dolega at about 1500' so very temperate climate. We are a 15 minute drive to shopping and hospitals in David and another 15 minutes to Alto Boquete,so we are much closer than Boquete. We have been here 5 years and experienced no crime in this small quiet community. There is another single lady that lives right above us and has been here for 7 years with no problems. You do have to be aware and there are some things that you just don't do but really not much different than living anywhere else. There is also a newly opened regional hospital with a fully staffed emergency room about 6-8 minutes from us.
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