Fundacion Alto al Crimen Report

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

Alto al Crimen will be presenting at the Tuesday Meeting either March 27 or April 16, to be announced. Be sure to attend and learn how you can protect yourself from crime and get all of your security questions answered - especially if you are new to the community. We will also discuss the Hot Line and the Resident Database.

The Alto al Crimen strategy for crime reduction - encouraging homeowners and residents to protect their property and letting the bad guys know that every crime will be investigated and that there are consequences - has proven itself with the vastly reduced crime rate that we now enjoy. The Hot Line and Resident Database has become a community institution, assisting all of us while providing a meaningful and rewarding career for an otherwise wheelchair-bound Panamanian. All of this has happened because of your generosity as individuals and as a community.

In the last weeks two events have occurred that you should be aware of:

1) An expat was jumped from behind and beaten with a stick while walking home on a street behind Amigo's around 8:30 in the evening. While fending off blows, he managed to pull out his wallet, which the assailant picked up and left the scene. The motive for the attack is unclear, as it happened in plain sight of neighbors who were in their yard. The police were called and responded within minutes. The day after the attack, Alto al Crimen initiated an investigation using a private investigator. A suspect was identified and as of today we are all waiting for an arrest warrant to be issued. We believe that this was a singular event by a deranged person, but you need to know how to protect yourself from such attacks.

2) A rental home in Volcancito was burglarized by an individual who entered at 4AM through an open window, stole wallets and cell phones and walked out the front door. Neither the residents nor the dog woke up. Like many rental units, this one appears to have had little or no security. RENTORS and NEW RESIDENTS need to be aware that YOU ARE A TARGET for burglars. You need to take simple steps to alert you that someone is around or inside your house at night.  

It is very important to REPORT EVERY CRIME even if it seems minor, by calling the Alto al Crimen Boquete Hot Line at 6477-6662. Alto al Crimen takes a zero-tolerance approach to crime in Boquete - every crime needs to be investigated, because today's minor criminal is tomorrow's career criminal. The success of this approach has proved itself again and again over the last couple of years, but it depends on you letting us know something has happened. 

Finally, don't forget about the multiple uses for the Alto al Crimen Boquete Hot Line

- Available 24/7/365 when you have an emergency

- Call to report a crime - even a minor one. The Hot Line will contact the correct police unit on your behalf

- If you need an ambulance or emergency medical care

- If you have an accident or your car is disabled - the Hot Line will call a towing service

- If you have a communication problem and need a translator - the Hot Line is bi-lingual and at your service

We hope to see you all at the Tuesday Meeting for question and answer.

Fundacion Alto al Crimen

"Evil thrives when good people do nothing"

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Fundacion Alto al Crimen is a Panamanian non-profit foundation dedicated to reducing the crime rate in the District of Boquete and helping citizens improve their home security. It is supported entirely by donations from the residents of the Boquete area. To make a donation and help keep these services going,  put a check made out to Fundacion Alto al Crimen in an envelop and drop it off at Mailboxes Etc., box 13112. Or simply reply to this email and we will arrange a time to receive your donation. 

The Boquete Hot Line is a service of the Foundation. Call 5477-6662 for 24/7 bi-lingual emergency support to report a crime, medical emergency or call for roadside assistance in case of an accident or breakdown. The operator will forward your call to to the relevant Boquete emergency service. 

The Boquete Resident Database works in concert with the Hot Line to speed response to your residence in case of an emergency. When you provide your location information to the Database, you are assigned a unique permanent number, which can be used to identify yourself instantly to the Hot Line in a time of need. All you need to do is call the Hot Line and say, for example, "This is number 575 and I need an ambulance!" The operator will then look up your location information and convey the directions to your house to the relevant emergency service. To be included in the database, send an email to residents@altoalcrimen.org including the names of everyone living at your house, your preferred and backup phone numbers and concise directions to your home. You will be issued a permanent ID number by return email. Be sure to write the number on your house phone, or put it in your cell phone as something like AAA ID xx so you can retrieve it quickly if necessary.

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