Law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Education ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

is performed by the

Panamanian Public Forces The Panamanian Public Forces ( es, Fuerza Pública de la República de Panamá) are the national security forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to permanently abolish standing armies, with P ...

. The Public Force has several branches which are

Panamanian National Police The National Police of Panama ( es, Polícia Nacional de Panamá) is a civilian governmental body associated with the Panamanian Public Forces. Established by the National Police Act No. 18 of June 3, 1997, it is responsible for maintaining publi ...

and the National Air Service (SENAN),

National Border Service The National Border Service, also called SENAFRONT (abbreviation for es, Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, link=no) is a police force specialized in the land border area and branch of the Panamanian Public Forces. Its mission is to protect Panama' ...

, and Institutional Protection Service that enforce law within their jurisdiction. Panama abolished its army in 1990, confirmed by a unanimous vote by the

National Assembly of Panama The National Assembly of Panama ( es, Asamblea Nacional de Panamá), formerly the Legislative Assembly of Panama ''(Asamblea Legislativa de Panamá)'', is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Panama. It is a unicameral l ...

for constitutional amendment in 1994. The constitutional amendment prohibit the creation of a standing military force but allow the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression".

Curfews

Panamanian authorities have adopted a curfew policy for youths under age 18. Students who are attending night classes must carry a permit or identification card, provided by the school or an official certified person. Youths under 18 who are caught without them are subject to detention at a police station until they are released to their legal guardians. A fine around $50.00 is issued to the legal guardians if the youth is apprehended for the first time. Curfews consist of special strategic checkpoints around the main streets in Panama. Each person inside a vehicle must carry their identification cards or be accompanied by their legal guardians. Authorities have helped slowly decrease the amount of unattended youths loitering around the streets. Most thefts and kidnappings are carried out by minors.

References

Sources

# World Police Encyclopedia, ed. by Dilip K. Das & Michael Palmiotto. by Taylor & Francis. 2004, # World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Correctional Systems, 2nd. edition, Gale., 2006 # Sullivan, Larry E. et al. Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2005. {{DEFAULTSORT:Law Enforcement In Panama Law of Panama

Curfews

See also

References

Sources