So you want to bribe your way out of a ticket?

[Alto al Crimen]

Bribing cops has been a way of life in many if not most countries in the world ever since cops were invented. However, the elimination of corruption in daily life is a hallmark of societies that are lifting themselves into the modern world. So it is with Panama.

One of the reasons why bribery is so hard to stop is that the officers never ask for money directly - and when you offer it to them YOU are also guilty of a crime. They may accept it, but have little fear that you will report the incident. Now the situation is turning around in Panama. Police officers have been given across the board salary increases and as we all notice, new and better equipment and support. While some still might be in the market for a bribe, others are proud of their professionalism and could land YOU in jail for offering.

Last week two different expat couples were traveling the Interamericana in the vicinity of Divisa, where the road to Pedasi splits off. An officer pulled them over, according to him, to give them a warning about something they were doing wrong. During the "explanation" the expats offered the officer a $20 bill, whereupon the officer became extremely insulted. They were informed that they were under arrest, their car was impounded and they were hauled off to the corrigidora. Many hours later and after paying fines of $150, they were allowed to move on, now with an attempted bribery conviction on their driving record. 

Let's face it - $150 is a lot more than most of the petty traffic fines. When a cop pulls you over, if their intent is really just to give you a ticket, they should do it promptly and with minimum effort. If the lecture becomes extended and/or threatening (huge fines, impounded cars, etc.) he may be looking for a bribe, or he may be setting you up for a more lucrative bribery arrest, if you should offer.  To protect yourself you need to immediately call the Boquete Hot Line, explain the situation to the operator and hand the phone to the police officer. Your Hot Line operator is trained to deal with this situation and with a third party involved, his bribery issue will be moot (whether he was looking for a bribe or setting you up) and most likely the situation will be resolved in a more benign way. 

Many of our friends are proud of how they have bribed their way out of traffic tickets. The game just got a whole lot more dangerous…

Your Boquete Hot Line works for you wherever you are in Panama and is supported by your contributions.

Alto al Crimen

[Alto al Crimen]

Several people have responded wondering what the Boquete Hot Line number is. It can be obtained in a variety of ways:

- Hot Line business cards available free at the Tuesday meeting

- By registering for a Resident ID and programming the number in your phone

- At our web site http://www.altoalcrimen.org

The number is 6477-6662 

The best way is to put in in your phone as "AAC[your ID number if you have one] 6477-6662". That way, you also have your ID number ready when you need to call the Hot Line and this will always be the first number in your phone book.

[Bjorn Sefeldt]

Argued with a traffic cop on the French rivierea once...20 minutes...he was going to tear up my US Drivers license...he initially didnt tell me how much the ticket was (he claimed I passed the solid stripe in the middle, which i did , on my way back as the car I was going to pass sped up...so i decide not to pass, pulled back in, now over the line that appeared)....I asked if he expected me to back up on the hwy and thereby not cross the line..

 

eventually i asked how much it was

"tourist discount , $5.00".....whereupon I paid right away , had wasted 20 minutes arguing over 5 bucks!

[B & A in Brisas]

Stopped for a ticket in this same area. Passed a slow moving vehicle over a dotted yellow line.  It was on a curve and in a construction area.  Officer told us you are never to pass in a construction area...no matter if there is no solid yellow line. 

His converstion was long...fine $100 then $50.00 in court.  We never waivered...."give us the ticket".   I then got out of the car to take photos of the area, the line and eventually him ...for the court.  He let us go immediately.  Next time I'll call HOTLINE.

Here's the pic.

[Ken & Pattie Thompson]

The hand blocking his face says it all !!

[Fran Hogan]

ALWAYS have a camera with you.

[Roger Bellido]

In this new century even cell phone have cameras so get them always ready.  It will prove to be very useful at so many circunstances.

[Fran Hogan]

yes.. and, even if you don't know how to work your cell phone camera, just going through the motions will get attention.

[Bjorn Sefeldt]

just as it did in France when I did take a picture of a  car accident outside a police station...French police were going to confiscate my camera...then I argued that I had 300 vacation pictures on there , they agreed to let me keep it if I erased the picture...I went thru the motions ,they left , I still had the picture...lol

[Mark Heyer]

I have a friend in San Carlos who has a very normal looking baseball cap that has a hidden camera inside. Very useful for driving the Interamericana. Used like a dash cam, at the point you saw the officer, you could look down at your speedometer, then record the whole encounter in detail. 

[B & A in Brisas]

Ken n Pattie.... yup...the hand in front of the face pretty much defined his motive.  When we looked up the infraction in the laws of the road book...it appears he well could  have written the ticket if you define "due caution" in areas where the roads are in some way less than  "safe".   Pretty broad.  I suppose constructon would qualify.

Fran.......the camera was invaluable !  To "one-up" this officer was not my intention.  It just happened...thank God.

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Two surfers from Hawaii were journeying to Santa Catalina.  Stopped for speeding on the interamerican.  Officer wrote on a piece of paper: the speed limit, their speed and $200 .  They paid him in fear.  Good income for a street cop....that's just one victem !   We can ill afford to reinforce this behavior...it corrupts them....the temptation to get in the habit, ya know?   He's human with a family to feed....and a new car to buy.

[Maria]

Most of the police in Panama is corrupt ... In October last year I went with my partner on the road to Boquete and two cops made ​​us stop the car, one of them told us that we exceed the speed, and we were only going 40 km, we said that was not true and insisted that we exceed the speed we were going to be fined 200.00, but we could do that did not happen and we wondered, digamne we can do to not put the fine, we said we knew we could not do, he told us "if they collaborate not get the fine," my partner said no, he had no money, I was coming from Colombia and I was tired, so I said: 20.00 I have not I have more, received and let us go. Many people I know would have been the same, but this can be stopped if they do not give money and denouncing all these cops, they also can take photos or record them using the phone to take tests, all States can end the police corruption on the roads.

[Roger Bellido]

Ignorance of the law could be the cause that some people might fall into the hands of any corrupt cop.  I do prefer the fine -ticket - multa, etc than giving a cop any bribe.

 

You should know first the rates or amounts of the fines or infractions.  In order to intimidate you some cops will tell you a higher amount of the fine and charge you with other unexistant infractions just only to scare you and making you more eager to offer them money. 

 

Now technology is a great advantage and you can use it in your favor to get your case and stop this practice.  There will be cops asking for bribe if there is people who doesnt do their homework well and continue with the practice of paying for bribes.