Prosecutor asks to declare Panama's Municipal Police unconstitutional

Panama's Attorney General, Luis Carlos Manuel Gómez Rudy, has formally requested the Supreme Court to declare an agreement establishing the Municipal Police of Panama City unconstitutional. The agreement, Municipal Agreement No. 162 of June 17, 2025, was issued by the Municipal Council, which the Attorney General's Office argues overstepped its legal boundaries.

The core of the argument rests on the principle that creating a police force is a matter reserved for national law, not municipal agreements. The Prosecutor's Office cites Article 310 of Panama's Constitution, which mandates that laws must organize police services for public order, including their command structure and hierarchy. By granting the Municipal Police powers such as apprehension, detention, searches, and the use of force, the Municipal Council has effectively created a security body with characteristics of a national police force, a power reserved for the National Assembly.

Further complicating the issue is the Municipal Police's potential authority to carry firearms. The Prosecutor's Office points to Article 312 of the Constitution, which states that only the government can possess weapons. The agreement's provision for the Municipal Police to use firearms, even non-war weapons, is seen as another constitutional violation, as no law authorizes a municipal body to establish an armed force of this nature.

These concerns have been echoed by others, including the Ministry of Security, which has questioned whether certain powers granted to the Municipal Police should exclusively belong to constitutionally established security forces. The debate highlights a tension between local governance and national security frameworks in Panama.