public safety

Torrijos pledges action on crime

As juvenile crime spirals out of control, officials are left scrambling for a solution.

President Martín Torrijos plans to meet with police and civic leaders to discuss possible solutions.

LA PRENSA

under arrest:Some have argued that sentences for juvenile offenders are not long enough to act as a deterrent.976794

It seems that, at least in the court of public opinion, juveniles who commit crimes should face tougher penalties.

According to an unscientific poll posted on prensa.com, 93 percent of 1,385 readers felt that sentences handed down to juvenile offenders are too lenient.

The issue has received widespread media attention recently because of several high-profile crimes, including the shooting death of the vice president of the Cámara de Comercio in Colón Eduardo Cattán last Friday.

Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro began calling for increased penalties for juvenile offenders after one of his bodyguards was shot and killed last week.

In both those murders, the gunmen are believed to have been under 20 years of age.

President Martín Torrijos, addressing the issue yesterday, said that many of these incidents seem to be related to gang activity, and said the government is committed to dealing with the problem.

He said that education and prevention remain key components of any program aimed at reducing crime among youths. He also pledged to put more police officers on the streets.

The president also called on parents to be more accountable for the actions of their children."Police are no substitute for parents," Torrijos said.

Policía Nacional Director Rolando Mirones said part of the problem is that, in some cases, juveniles are released from custody too quickly, putting them back on the streets.

Several measures have been suggested, including making parents pay a fine if their children are arrested and increasing sentences for juveniles.

But Mirones said that unless parents start taking more responsibility for their children, the violence is unklikely to cease.

"We cannot do the work of others," he said. "There are situations beyond the control of the police."

Law enforcement officials and civic leaders will meet over the next few days to discuss the problem and present a proposal to the president.