Residents of Bella Vista (Panama) have gathered to sound the alarm about a sharp decline in public safety. They describe a neighborhood transformed from a once-peaceful area into a hotspot for crime and disorder. The meeting took place at the local communal board office this week.
Robberies, open drug use, and conflicts linked to nightlife have become daily realities for these residents. Many say the situation has deteriorated steadily over the past two decades. Local authorities and officers from the Panama National Police listened as community members from sectors like El Cangrejo detailed what they call an escalation of criminal activity. They voiced frustration over what they perceive as an insufficient response to their complaints.
Residents Voice Growing Frustration Over Public Safety
For many people living in Bella Vista, the current climate creates more than just fear. It breeds deep frustration. Sibila Ortiz, a longtime resident of El Cangrejo, did not hold back during the meeting. She painted a stark picture of daily life in the neighborhood.
“We are more insecure now than we were 20 years ago. Instead of advancing, we have regressed more than 20 years. We are once again full of prostitution, we have children asking for money, we have crack addicts that nobody picks up.” [Translated from Spanish]
Ortiz directly challenged the effectiveness of police patrols in the area. She claimed that officers rarely conduct visible rounds. Residents call emergency lines but say help often does not arrive. “Vía Argentina looks like a red-light district in Holland. Everyone is smoking drugs and nobody does anything,” she asserted. [Translated from Spanish]
The complaints share common threads across the community. Stolen items from parked vehicles, excessive noise, illegal substance consumption, and chaos near bar and restaurant clusters dominate the list. These problems intensify during nighttime hours when entertainment venues draw crowds.
Community Leaders Push for Stronger Police Coordination
César Kiamco, the representative for Bella Vista, acknowledged the urgent need for reinforced action. He emphasized better coordination between authorities and residents as a key solution. Kiamco pointed to existing neighborhood organization efforts around restaurant areas as a foundation to build upon.
“There is an organization of neighbors regarding the security issue in the restaurant areas and beyond. That citizen initiative is an initiative that we are going to support and the police will join quickly. And third, there is an apparent administrative deficiency in terms of Neighborhood Watch programs in some of the neighborhoods. That is something that is very clear and will be resolved immediately.” [Translated from Spanish]
During the community meeting, officials outlined measures already underway in the district. They are strengthening the Tourism Police unit to handle the constant flow of visitors in areas like Vía Argentina. Authorities are also working to reactivate neighborhood watch programs that had fallen dormant.
But residents remain skeptical. Their main demand centers on immediate response times. Despite multiple meetings and official commitments, they say the problems persist and continue eroding their quality of life. The gap between promises and results frustrates them the most.
Authorities have promised to keep evaluating the security situation in Bella Vista. They announced that more details about specific implementation plans will emerge in the coming days. Officials also plan to release data on the types of cases most frequently handled by peace judges in this district.