More curfew breakers caught

PANAMA. Two nights of a national curfew for minors have yielded close to 200 arrests.

In an effort to bring peace and safety to the streets, the Ministry of Government and Justice imposed a daily curfew, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on all minors, below 18 years of age without parental accompaniment. The program started this week as part of the “Safe Streets” program.

National Police crime statistics show that the number of minors taking part in criminal activities has increased steadily over the last few years, especially in the Colon and Panama provinces.

It is believed that the initiative could help disband gangs.

The first night, 86 minors were detained and the second night a further 90 were captured wandering the streets. The justice minister, Raul Mulino, went along with the police to supervise the operation on the second night.

To aid police, detainees and parents, the Police has implemented a 24 hour public defender service.

The percentage of loose minors was higher in the metropolitan area and the Colon province.

One girl from Rio Abajo had to be rushed to the Santo Tomas hospital with abortion symptoms.

Tutors and parents were upset as they had to pay a $50 fine to retrieve their children from the Police detention center.

They must also present a birth certificate from the detained minor and identification documents (cedula).

The minors who are not claimed by a responsible adult, will be taken to a shelter of the Social Development Ministry (MIDES).

The Ministry of Government and Justice received an extra credit of $5.5 million to implement security programs to curb the nationwide wave of violence.

One of the programs that is being supported by the government is Neighborhood Watch.

The idea is that the community icooperates in denouncing any suspicious activities.

Meanwhile, the National Police in the area of Los Albarrobos, in Chiriqui province managed to frustrate a robbery by minors and seized illegal drugs.