What's the crime rate in general in Bocas Del Toro, Panama?

The crime rate in general in Bocas Del Toro is very low.  There are incidences of property theft from homes, condos and boats - crimes of opportunity.  But violent crime against residents and visitors is quite low.  In fact, the last few incidences of violence against Americans were perpetuated by other Americans, which speaks volumes to knowing with whom you are hanging out. Of course, when traveling in any foreign community it is always wise to use common sense....

The crime rate in general in Bocas Del Toro is very low.  There are incidences of property theft from homes, condos and boats - crimes of opportunity.  But violent crime against residents and visitors is quite low.  In fact, the last few incidences of violence against Americans were perpetuated by other Americans, which speaks volumes to knowing with whom you are hanging out. Of course, when traveling in any foreign community it is always wise to use common sense. Don't flash your money or  expensive jewelry.  Don't be a loudmouth and tell everyone your financial business.  Don't allow strangers and unsavory characters into your home/condo.  Don't become so drunk that you don't remember your name or where you live.   In other words, don't become an easy mark.  In many cases it won't be the locals who are ready to do you harm, but some of the foreign visitors who just may be tempted to fund their travels through alternative methods.  If you act with common sense you stand little chance of being a victim in Bocas Town or Isla Colon.

With regard to crime in Bocas Del Toro, Panama, be especially vigilant in beach areas. These are often deserted, and a bag left attended has a good probability of getting stolen. I recently witnesses a couple from Argentina, in their bathing suits on the roads, who had their bag robbed. It contained everything. Their passport, their money, their phones, their credit cards, their clothes. My first (insensitive) question was "why on earth did you bring this to the beach????" ...

With regard to crime in Bocas Del Toro, Panama, be especially vigilant in beach areas. These are often deserted, and a bag left attended has a good probability of getting stolen. I recently witnesses a couple from Argentina, in their bathing suits on the roads, who had their bag robbed. It contained everything. Their passport, their money, their phones, their credit cards, their clothes. My first (insensitive) question was "why on earth did you bring this to the beach????"  Even if theft was not a worry, would you want to chance getting your passport wet or your phone full of sand? And no one in the "boonies" accepts credit cards. Leave them at your hotel. While we all deplore these thefts, they do not reflect the community at large and are basically thefts of opportunity. Make a photocopy of your passport, take the minimum amount of cash (preferably in one of those small pelican cases meant to get wet and protect the contents) and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
 

There are no large crimes in Bocas Del Toro. Every few years we have a crazy murder just like anywhere else in the world. About 5 years ago, there was a serial killer named Wild Bill, who was here for about six months and thank God I missed him. From what I heard, Wild Bill looked like a regular person and he pretended that he wanted to buy property. He would give his victims a US $50,000 deposit on their home, he would talk them to letting him move in, and he would...

There are no large crimes in Bocas Del Toro. Every few years we have a crazy murder just like anywhere else in the world. About 5 years ago, there was a serial killer named Wild Bill, who was here for about six months and thank God I missed him. From what I heard, Wild Bill looked like a regular person and he pretended that he wanted to buy property. He would give his victims a US $50,000 deposit on their home, he would talk them to letting him move in, and he would kill them and never pay for the house. He killed three people before they caught him. However, he is gone and he is in jail now. That could happen anywhere; it is not exclusive to Bocas.

Occasionally, you would hear about a robbery but most of the crimes here are petty thievery that comes from a situation of having "the haves and the 'have-nots'". This is also not exclusive to island life; it is more to the forefront here because it is a smaller town. There are always low level people who are lazy. They probably would not hesitate to steal from you, because they feel entitled, and there is a certain group of people here with the local population who feels like that. If you leave your bicycle unlocked in the porch, it will be gone the next morning so you have to lock it. If you leave stuff out, or you leave your door unlocked, go visit your neighbor in town, you might be robbed and only find out about it when you get home.

Then again, that is the reason why people move a little further out from town. I know someone who lives as close as 10 minutes out of town, in an area called Big Creek, and he says he never locks his doors. Therefore, safety depends on which area you live. You have to take precautions, as you would anywhere.