There was an abundance of Policia and armed guards everywhere this week in Bocas del Toro. Up and down Bluff Beach, in restaurants, water taxi stations, on the streets , everywhere. It's been a year this week since we were last there and it is a noticeable change.
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CRIME prevention
There has always been a bad element in Bocas. (drug dealers , thieves , street hustlers.) Typical of tourist areas. I personally have never seen the attraction of Bocas. The police presence is a good thing for the tourists in my opinion. For the Panamanians, going to Bocas is like Gringos going to Florida on vacation. When i go on vacation i get on an airplane.
"There has always been a bad element in Bocas." Not always, I was first there in March of 1996. Just a couple of sailboats in the bay. I was there with two other students going to Spanish learning school in Costa Rica. The kids followed us around, not too many tourists then and dove for coins we tossed into the water. We talked with a local policeman and he related that U.S. paratroopers landed there in 1989 and put the police in the jail. He said that the soldiers treated them very well. I haven't been there in about 10 years so I guess it has changed.
My guess is it revolves around drugs. What else could it be? It's no secret Bocas is a party town. It's common to be approached by dealers.
We weren't approached anymore this time than in the past 5 years. And never have we seen armed patrol as far as 5 miles down Bluff Beach. Armed patrol right on the beach.