Draft bill 27.

Summary.

The draft bill establishes a framework throughout the Republic of Panama for identifying and addressing high crime incidence areas. It defines those areas, priority intervention zones, red zones, targeted comprehensive plans, and risk factors. It also covers intervention areas that require institutional coordination because of factors associated with crime risk. Its purposes include prevention, social recovery, community participation, and protection of fundamental rights.

The Ministry of Public Security (Ministerio de Seguridad Pública) would issue, extend, amend, or lift a declaration through a reasoned administrative resolution supported by official data and territorial analysis. It could use crime statistics, information from the National Police (Policía Nacional) and Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministerio Público), verified local and community reports, and georeferenced tools. The decision would consider offenses, incidents, patterns, and risk factors; define the area's boundaries, identify priority zones, and direct the coordination process and preparation of a plan. A declaration would last up to twelve months, with justified extensions, and could end earlier. It would be published on the ministry's website and communicated to the authorities involved, with safeguards for sensitive information. Interventions would comply with the Political Constitution (Constitución Política) and could not justify discrimination or arbitrary restrictions on rights.

Following a declaration, the governor would convene the Provincial Technical Board (Junta Técnica Provincial) within the following ten working days. A Territorial Operations Committee (Mesa Operativa Territorial) would be activated for each area, without separate legal personality or a permanent administrative structure. Security, social development, education, labor, housing, health, public works, vocational training, child and adolescent welfare, sports, and transport institutions would participate alongside local authorities; community actors could attend as guests. The Public Prosecutor's Office could attend as a technical guest without affecting its functions. Each institution convened would appoint a liaison within five working days after the Committee is installed. The Committee would prepare the territorial diagnosis, assign responsibilities, coordinate action, and document progress.

The Committee would prepare the Targeted Comprehensive Plan within thirty working days after its installation. The Provincial Technical Board would approve it and forward it to the Ministry of Public Security. The plan would set out objectives, institutional actions, a schedule, resources, indicators, a rapid response protocol, training, and accountability measures. Depending on local conditions, it would cover police and social prevention, victim protection, education, employment, mental health, public spaces, and community activities. Institutions would prioritize their assigned actions within their legal powers and available budgets; the Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo) could consider specific appropriations, and local governments could coordinate permitted resources.

The Ministry of Public Security and National Police would establish channels and procedures for verifying and responding to alerts and protecting complainants and victims. Community participants would receive training in prevention, rights, communication, protection of vulnerable people, and conflict management. Participation would confer no police, investigative, or coercive powers; vigilante action and improper disclosure of information would be prohibited. The text allocates security, social assistance, education, vocational training, and public space recovery duties among institutions and local authorities.

The Committee would submit reports every two months and use measurable indicators. The Ministry of Public Security would conduct evaluations every six months and submit an annual report to the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) for publication on its website. The powers of the Judiciary (Órgano Judicial), Ombudsman's Office (Defensoría del Pueblo), and other autonomous authorities would be preserved. Unjustified noncompliance by public servants would be referred to the appointing authority, without prejudice to other liabilities, and institutions would protect sensitive data. The Executive Branch would issue regulations within six months after promulgation; implementation would be coordinated with compatible public programs. The provisions concern the Ministry of Social Development (Ministerio de Desarrollo Social), Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación), Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (Ministerio de Trabajo y Desarrollo Laboral), National Institute of Vocational Training and Training for Human Development (Instituto Nacional de Formación Profesional y Capacitación para el Desarrollo Humano), Ministry of Housing and Land Management (Ministerio de Vivienda y Ordenamiento Territorial), Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud), Ministry of Public Works (Ministerio de Obras Públicas), National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Families (Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia), Panamanian Sports Institute (Instituto Panameño de Deportes), and Land Transit and Transport Authority (Autoridad de Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre), as well as communities, schools, merchants, and local organizations.