EMERGENCY ALERT TO ALL BOQUETE RESIDENTS

Reply To:	Alto al Crimen <info@altoalcrimen.org>

Last nignt, Tuesday, March 20, at about 8:40PM, a violent home invasion robbery occurred in the Los Nances development on the Caldera road near Montanas de Caldera. The MO was identical to another robbery that took place less than a week ago in the Emerald Drive subdivision and we believe is connected with another violent attack in Volcan two weeks ago and possibly others - Three armed intruders broke in through a window, tied up and pistol whipped the residents and robbed the house at their leisure. 

The Tuesday night victims were rescued by a neighbor who immediately called the Alto al Crimen Hot Line and reported their Resident Database* number, so that the Hot Line operator could accurately and quickly inform the police, who immediately responded in force - dispatching eight detectives to the house and setting up roadblocks to try and apprehend the criminals before they could reach David. Alto al Crimen is cooperating with the police and has hired an investigator to augment their efforts to apprehend these thugs before they can do more damage. Reporting an invasion immediately while in progress or immediately afterwards is our best hope of catching the criminals. Try to identify the car they are using. Having a Resident Database* number is the fastest and most accurate way to make a report. 

The gang is hitting isolated and unprotected gringo homes on the outskirts of Boquete where they know it will take some time for the police to show up. In one case, they poisoned the guard dogs and returned the following night to rob the residents. If you own or rent such a home, you need to take emergency measures TODAY to protect your safety. Please also alert anyone you know who might be vulnerable and might not get this notice.

How to know if you are especially vulnerable:

- If your home is in an isolated area of the District of Boquete - so far at least

- If it has no security fence, security lights, perimeter alarms, video cameras, barred windows or other deterrents. 

- If it is close to a major road

How to protect yourself:

- Register with the Alto al Crimen resident database (see below) and give the number of your house to your neighbors so that if you or they are a attacked, you can immediately call in the police. Keep your cell phone with you at all times and practice speed dialing the Hot Line. If you are attacked, dial the Hot Line and keep the line open as you escape from your house.

- Keep a stash of cheap jewelry, an old laptop and a fake wallet full of small bills and dead credit cards handy in your kitchen or living room. If they come in, this may satisfy their demands and avoid a beating. Keep your actual wallets, purses and valuables hidden.

- Make sure you know when someone is in the vicinity of your house

- Above all else you need TIME to protect your family and set off an alarm. Walk around your house at night and see how easy it would be to approach your house without being detected and how easy it is to see into the windows. If they can get to your windows and look in before you are alerted, you will most certainly be a sitting duck. They depend on the element of surprise and on residents who are unprepared and passive. GET MOTION SENSOR LIGHTS INSTALLED TODAY.

- These intruders are breaking in through windows with weapons. If you think they are coming in - DO NOT VOLUNTARILY CONFRONT THE INTRUDERS - LOCK YOURSELVES IN A SAFE ROOM AND CALL THE HOT LINE

- Talk with your neighbors and plan how to communicate in case of an emergency - Set up a neighborhood watch to identify every person and vehicle that enters your neighborhood

- GET A BOAT HORN - When the bad guys arrive, you need to get the word out FAST - fumbling with your cell phone won't do it. Keep your boat horn ready and fire it out the window at the first sign of trouble. Quite possibly the alarm will deter the intruders from proceeding. 

- If you own a gun, now is the time to get it ready and keep it handy

- If your dogs are inside the house and start getting agitated, for God's sake listen to them! 

Fundacion Alto al Crimen is working full time to stop this gang from further terrorizing our community. If you have any information about a crime in progress or even suspicious activity, please call the Alto al Crimen Hot Line 6477-6662 or email info@altoalcrimen.org. We will be posting updates frequently until this gang is stopped. 

Alto al Crimen

* Resident Database - Maintained as a service of the Alto al Crimen Boquete Hot Line, the Resident Database contains phone and location information for the residents of Boquete. Once registered, you will be issued a unique Resident number, which can be given to the Hot Line operator in order to quickly and accurately summon help in an emergency. To register, send an email to residents@altoalcrimen.org including your:

Name(s)

Phone numbers

Concise instructions in English on how to locate your house. The Hot Line bi-lingual operator can relay this information to the correct police units, call an ambulance or alert other resources in the community.

HOT TIP - Visit your neighbors and create a list with all of your Resident Database information for all to have handy. Thus, anyone who spots a problem can call you and if necessary call the Hot Line and direct the response to your house.

How to get a boat horn

On Wednesday, we will be putting a supply of boat horns at Las Ruinas restaurant and Mailboxes Etc. - they are available for a $20 donation to Alto al Crimen to help us fight this invasion of Boquete.

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