BRIEFS. public safety

Panamanians fear crime is getting worse

A recent survey found that Panamanians are increasingly concerned about their personal safety, and believe that crime, especially violent crime, is on the rise.

The findings were based on results from the latest Índice de Seguridad, conducted by the marketing firm GFK last April, and compiled the views of thousands of Panamanians over the age of 18, throughout the country, with the exception of the Darién and indigenous regions.

The survey, released yesterday, showed that 87 percent of respondents felt that crime had risen during the last year, reflecting an 9 percent increase over the findings of January 2007.

Eighty-four percent of those surveyed thought that crime in Panama had become much more violent, a perception that also rose 9 percent compared with the previous survey.

Most telling, however, was that 71 percent felt that crime will get worse in the future.

Included in this year's survey for the first time was a new variable: the Índice de Temor, or "Fear Index," which found that 64 percent of Panamanians experience a medium to high fear of crime.