Soon after the inauguration of the Cinta Costera during the administration of then President Martín Torrijos, the government of Panama discovered the project had become an immense success. People gathered at this hot spot in swarms in an effort to breathe fresh air and exercise their bodies. It was exactly what the city dwellers had waited for decades.
To protect the goose that laid the golden egg, the Ministry of Public Works requested the Police Department to designate a special force to protect the area against potential crimes. Many tourists feared visiting the area during the evenings thinking they could be mugged by thugs. To avoid this from happening, the Police Department flexed its muscle and organized a special unit to take care of the Coastal Strip. To this day, it’s one of the safest areas in Panama City.
While the duathlon was in progress, I took a couple of shots of some of the resources the Panama Police has allocated to the Coastal Strip to prevent potential criminal incidents. When I saw it, the movie Universal Soldier starring French actor, Claude Van Damme, came to my mind. The police truck certainly looked intimidating. Take a look.
Part of the resources used by the Panama Police Department to protect the visitors of the Cinta Costera in Panama City, Panama. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.
This large truck is used as a portable jail and small office used by the Panama law enforcement officers to protect the visitors of the Cinta Costera. I noticed it had an air-condition system working inside the small office. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.
This is the final post on the series of the Cinta Costera or Coastal Strip in English. I’m currently preparing a new series of photographs on the renovation of the old shell of the city commonly known as Casco Viejo.
I hope you have enjoyed viewing the pictures of the new face of Panama City which is rapidly transforming into a modern cosmopolitan city in Latin America. Good Day.
