While in a foreign country, you are subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in your home country and may not afford the protections available to the individual under your home jurisdiction. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe for similar offenses. Persons violating Panamanian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Panama are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines. If you are not a money launderer, drug seller or terrorist you will find Panama to have a relatively laid back attitude towards crime compared to North America, Australia and the EU.

In general while in Panama the average Expat is unlikely to run afoul of the law. In Panama business has not been criminalized as it has in the USA, UK, Australia and many other countries. The vast majority of the law enforcement people in Panama devote their time and energies to real crime, drug traffic enforcement and crime prevention. There is not a whole lot of victimless crime prosecution in Panama. Prostitution is legal and the prostitutes are medically inspected weekly for STD. I have yet to see street walking prostitutes (except in really poor neighborhoods) so I assume most if not all of them are working in the many gentlemans clubs or are working as paid escorts or as outcall massage girls. So it is there but not all that obvious, unlike numerous American cities where it is in your face with drug addicted street walkers male and female.

Many people say be careful while wearing jewelry since a child can get a running start and grab a bracelet or necklace and keep running. Did we ever see it happen, No. Did we ever meet anyone it happened to, No. Lot's of people say they know it happens but seems you never meet any of these victims. Could it happen? I guess it could. Do we think it is likely to happen? No. I suppose if one was out late and had been drinking and was walking around looking like he was partying someone may interpret this as a crime of opportunity and take a shot at it. I would suggest when going shopping on foot to not wear a lot of flashy jewelry. Remember Panama as a nation has much less violent crime in a year (a mere fraction) than what New York City has in one day. Panama is far safer than North America. Violent crime in Panama is relatively unheard of. The assaults that happen here are overwhelmingly going to be amongst people well known to each other like husband and wife, criminal gang members, etc. Armed robberies are vely unheard of. Rapes are again not a likely occurrence but I would not advise any young woman to go running around without other people at night. This advice would apply in USA except having a friend or two along in the USA might just mean you all become victims. Panama is way way more safe than even the safe cities in the USA.

Panama as a nation has much less violent crime in a year (a mere fraction) than what New York City has in one day. Panama is far safer than North America. Violent crime in Panama is relatively unheard of.
Bars on windows are common in Panama. Again children can become thieves of opportunity. There are a lot of really poor people in this country and an open window could tempt a child to become a thief and enter to take a tv, cash, radio etc. Some dwellings also have an extra door, like a storm door; made of ornate iron. When the USA was here anyone who was in military or was an American working for them was required to put these iron doors on in front of the regular door so this is why you see a lot of these doors. Most apartment buildings have security guards 24/7 who are sharp and vigilant. Some are armed, some are not. They usually station one guard in the lobby to buzz up visitors after you clear them, to sign for packages and deliveries and there is usually at least one other guard watching the garage area. Some have guards roving the grounds. Rest assured the apartment buildings most Expats are likely to gravitate towards are going to have security far beyond what you would need to feel really safe and the type of security you'd get if you lived in a high rise building in say Central park South in Manhattan paying upwards of $10,000 a month rent (minus the elevator operators). Rest assured no one is going to be lurking for you in the lobby or the garage, you are not going to enter the elevator on the lobby floor and wind up going down to the basement for a nightmare, no one is going to come to your apartment door unannounced, no strangers are roaming around the halls, etc. Just accept the private security as a way of life down here and not as an indicator or high crime.

For the more security conscious monitored alarm systems are available and yes the police will come when the alarm company calls them but I think this is overkill. You can get a safe for valuables and bolt it into floor/walls inside of a closet with a solid core wood door with a dead bolt installed. A safe may be a nice touch if a lot of strangers are in your house and you have a lot of valuables you do not want to keep in a bank safe deposit box. Multilink (trade name) doors are very interesting, first saw something like them in Israel over 10 years ago. You have a steel door maybe with decorative wood over it. In the door is a high security lock nicely mounted so it can't be easily pulled out. The door frame is reinforced with an all steel liner. When you a turn a key deadbolts come out and into the frame on all four sides of the door making a real secure closure. It would take a lot of battering with a battering ram and to get in, probably easier to go through the wall. You can put up a fence with razor ribbon. You could get some big dogs. Best of all hire your own live in bodyguard/driver/errand guy. Cost would be at about $5.00 per day if you let him live in, feed him etc. He'll have a gun license and carry a pistol. You can use him as a driver too. Let him live in the maids room and hire a day maid instead. Remember this paragraph is for the ultra security minded folks (not paranoids), not for most people. In law enforcement they say if you ever used it you needed it, so if you carried a gun 24/7 for 45 years and one day actually used it well then you needed it all that time. A decent line of logic considering the stakes involved.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.panamaexpertos.com
http://www.panamaexpertos.com/info.php?page=content/crime_and_safety
http://www.panamaexpertos.com/info.php?page=content/cost_of_living