Veraguas residents form committee to combat rising petty crime

A wave of petty crime is unsettling residents in the Veraguas province of Panama, prompting community action. In the neighborhoods of Costa Marina and Villa Marina, residents have established a committee to tackle issues ranging from inadequate street lighting to a general sense of insecurity, exacerbated by recent incidents.

The formation of the "Committee for Community Improvements for Villa and Costa Marina" comes after a disturbing residential burglary in Costa Marina, where surveillance cameras recorded an intruder entering through a window. This incident has amplified the community's demands for basic services and safety measures. Marco Bonilla, a spokesperson for Villa Marina, stated that the community is demanding improvements such as paved roads, green areas, public spaces, and functional streetlights, highlighting that these issues are interconnected with their safety concerns.

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We all have to get involved here; it's a matter for the entire province, it's a national issue, but in our case here in the province, we have to work with our representatives, with our mayors to see what we are going to do about these small robberies we are having.

Veraguas Governor Hidelmarta Riera acknowledged the growing problem of petty thefts and robberies in the province. She stressed the importance of a unified approach, involving all stakeholders, to address what she described as "small but numerous" incidents. "We all have to get involved here; it's a matter for the entire province, it's a national issue, but in our case here in the province, we have to work with our representatives, with our mayors to see what we are going to do about these small robberies we are having," Riera stated.

The concern over theft extends beyond residential burglaries. In a separate incident this week, also captured on surveillance cameras, an individual snatched a wallet containing $8,000 from another person. While the alleged perpetrator in that case was apprehended in Veraguas, the frequency of such crimes underscores the broader security challenges facing the province. The community's proactive step in forming a committee signals a desire for tangible solutions and a more secure living environment.

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roads, green areas, public spaces that are abandoned, streetlights, security, all of that we demand in Villa Marina and I also announce to everyone that today a movement for Villa Marina is born, the Committee for Community Improvements for Villa and Costa Marina.