Friday, May 09, 2025.
Beyond the Scene: Time and Environment as Dual Pillars of the Investigative Mindset
In investigative work, we often speak of “the scene”, as if it were one isolated moment in space. But the reality is far more layered. Every case, whether a petty theft or an international fraud scheme, occurs within an environment that is not only physical, but temporal. The environment isn’t just where something happened, it’s when, how long ago, for how long, and what came before or after. Without recognizing time as a dimension of the environment, an investigator risks chasing shadows rather than uncovering substance.
Too often, we hyper-focus on an object or isolated fact. A client might tell us, “They stole my watch, my laptop, and my phone,” and we’re given a neat list of stolen items. But ask how many individuals were involved, and the answers are vague: “I think two… maybe three.” Ask if they saw a getaway vehicle, and you hear, “I didn’t think to look.” The victim’s field of awareness was limited, understandably, by fear and shock, but if we, as investigators, adopt that same narrow lens, we miss crucial opportunities.
Now add the pressure of time.
Fingerprints on a doorknob may last only hours. Surveillance footage may overwrite itself every 24 to 72 hours. A witness’s memory begins to degrade immediately, altered by conversations, assumptions, media, and time itself. The longer we wait, the further we get from unfiltered truth. That’s why a skilled investigator learns to sequence their approach: identify which environments are both most urgent and most revealing, and then act quickly to preserve what would otherwise vanish.
Take this layered view:
- A burglary occurs. The room is the immediate environment. But the building’s entrance, the surrounding block, the traffic patterns of the area; all are connected.
- Was there construction on the corner? That noise could have masked the break-in.
- Was there an event nearby drawing people or pushing them away, changing who might have seen what?
- Did the power go out an hour before, altering camera functionality or alarm systems?
- Was this crime isolated—or part of a pattern in that neighborhood, that district, or that city?
The environment becomes a series of concentric circles, each one holding more context, and each one governed by its own ticking clock.
And then we go deeper. Consider the digital environment. Did the suspects scope out the location via Google Maps? Did they communicate via encrypted messaging apps? Did the stolen phone ping a tower on its way out of the city? This layer isn’t visible at the scene, but it’s as real and critical as the broken window or pried-open door.
Even the psychological environment plays a role. The mindset of the victim at the time of the crime. The patterns of behavior leading up to the event. The routine that made them predictable. Or the internal environment of the perpetrator; was this act born out of desperation, calculation, revenge or impulse?
All of these must be mapped not just spatially, but chronologically. When we draw timelines, we do more than chart events. We look for causality. For rhythm. For breaks in pattern. We ask not just what happened, but why it happened then, why it happened there, and what that timing tells us about the next move.
So, where do we begin?
We begin with the environment that expires first. If there are cameras, retrieve the footage before it’s lost. If there are witnesses, interview them before memory fades or bias creeps in. If there are digital traces, preserve them before metadata is altered or deleted. Think of it as investigative triage: act where time is not your friend.
Then we move outward, not randomly, but methodically. From micro to macro. From the known to the uncertain. And with each layer of environment, we don’t just collect facts, we build a narrative. Because in the end, investigation is not just about gathering pieces, it’s about assembling meaning.
The scene of the crime is never the full story. The environment, physical, digital, psychological, and temporal, is the story. And the investigator who learns to navigate these layers with urgency and clarity will always find more than the one who simply shows up and takes notes.
Brett Mikkelson
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS:
New Pope 2025: Robert Francis Prévost is Pope Leo XIV
Cardinal Dominique Mamberti was the one who announced to the world the name of the new pontiff, 69-year-old Robert Francis Prévost, who has been elected as Pope Leo XIV. With this historic appointment, Prévost becomes the successor of Peter and the new head of the Catholic Church.
The 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church was born in Chicago but also holds Peruvian nationality, having served as a missionary and as the emeritus archbishop of Chiclayo.
Before his election, Prévost led one of the most influential offices in the Vatican: the Congregation for Bishops, responsible for evaluating candidates and proposing key appointments within the ecclesiastical structure. His profile has been regarded as that of a calm, experienced leader deeply committed to pastoral renewal.
Strike Does Not Favor Tourism in Panama, Private Sector Calls for Dialogue
While the private sector urges authorities to come to the negotiating table to end the two-week-long strike, President Mulino insists that Law 462 of the Social Security Fund (CSS) will remain in force.
Hotel owners, shopping centers, and the tourism industry as a whole have been raising their voices about the negative impact of the indefinite national strike called by teachers, who are demanding the repeal of Law 462 regarding reforms to the Social Security Fund. The strike continues into its second consecutive week.
The Panamanian Hotel Association (Apatel) expressed on Thursday, May 8, its concern over the severe impact that road closures across the country are having on tourism, affecting both domestic travel and international visitor arrivals.
The hotel sector warned that the roadblocks have forced both domestic and international tourists to cancel their travel plans, due to the inability to reach popular tourist destinations such as Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro, and the central provinces.
They stated that the situation has led to the temporary closure of numerous establishments, as well as the cancellation of reservations made weeks in advance, resulting in millions in economic losses for a sector still recovering from previous crises.
“Hotel occupancy, already weakened, is now facing a new and serious setback. The disruption of supply chains is also complicating the operations of many tourism businesses, deepening the sector’s crisis,” Apatel said in an official statement.
Although the hotel industry acknowledges and respects citizens’ right to protest, it strongly rejected the blocking of streets and highways as a means of pressure. In this regard, it issued an urgent call to the National Government to address the root causes of the demonstrations and take immediate action to restore free movement and normalcy in the country.
Apatel urged the authorities to implement security and logistical strategies that ensure the mobility of tourists and citizens, thereby protecting the national economy and Panama’s international image as a tourist destination.
“It is urgent to find solutions that balance the right to protest with the need to maintain connectivity and economic activity throughout the country,” the statement concluded.
Regarding the strike, Nadkyi Duque, a member of the Panamanian Association of Shopping Centers and part of the National Chamber of Tourism of Panama, commented that the protests have created great uncertainty among Panamanians, hindering mobility and impacting the commerce sector.
“We’ve received reports from some shopping centers of a 20% drop in activity, some 10%, which is quite significant—especially at a time when we are attracting investments that believe in Panama and are here to negotiate major deals. So, this does not help the work we’ve been doing to revitalize the country’s economy,” Duque said while participating in the forum ‘Panama, a Place Close to Everything for Everyone’, organized by the Panamanian Association of Business Executives.
“I call on the President of the Republic (José Raúl Mulino) to bring all sectors together so we can reach dialogue tables to avoid these types of situations that only paralyze the progress we’ve been building. We are at a decisive moment; I know there are major challenges with the Panama Canal and the mining issue. However, dialogue must always be the way forward.”
In response to the protests, President Mulino said during his morning press conference on April 8:
“This law (462) does not affect educators. What they’re doing is a crime—depriving children and youth of an education for the future of the country.”
He added:
“I have nothing to discuss; it’s a law of the Republic, and it will remain in force… these groups just want the spotlight, as happened before in Penonomé,” and he emphasized: “The Social Security law is not negotiable. It is in force and will continue to be in force.”
Tourism in Panama has been growing since the COVID-19 pandemic. “During the pandemic, we were severely impacted. We went from 2.5 million visitors in 2019 down to 500,000 in 2020, but since 2021 we’ve been recovering, and the numbers have been rising—we have now surpassed the 2019 figure with over 2.5 million visitors today,” Duque pointed out, adding that, “there is still much more work to do, but it’s positive that we are growing. Unfortunately, strikes and these uncertainties paralyze the entire country.”
Ministry of Health Reports Over 4,500 Cases of Dengue in Panama
With the arrival of the first rains, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) is issuing an urgent call to the population to reinforce cleaning measures and eliminate potential breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the transmitter of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.
As of Epidemiological Week No. 16, covering the period from April 13 to 19, the country has already reported a concerning total of 4,532 accumulated dengue cases. Of these, 4,045 show no warning signs, 453 present warning signs, and 34 have been classified as severe dengue.
The most affected regions are San Miguelito, leading with 1,136 cases, followed by the Metropolitan Region with 913 cases, and Panama North with 521 cases. Other provinces such as Panama West (464), Los Santos (338), Bocas del Toro (294), and Chiriquí (223) are also showing rising numbers.
The situation is not only evident in the number of infections but also in the strain placed on hospitals. The Ministry of Health reports that 386 people have required hospitalization, and unfortunately, 6 deaths have been recorded so far this year. These fatalities are distributed across Panama East, Panama West, Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Coclé, and Darién.
The national incidence rate during epidemiological week 16 of 2025 is 99.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with most of the affected individuals between the ages of 15 and 59. This socially and economically active age group represents a major vector for the virus’s spread.
How to Prevent Dengue
Minsa emphasizes that prevention starts at home, at work, in schools, and in every corner of the community. It urges the public to eliminate all containers that can collect water, such as cans, bottles, tires, flower pots, or buckets. Any object that can hold rainwater is a potential mosquito breeding site.
Symptoms of dengue include fever, headache, general discomfort, muscle pain, and eye pain. If you experience any of these symptoms, do not self-medicate—go to a health center.
The Ministry of Health has intensified vector control operations nationwide, but stresses that citizen participation is crucial to halting the spread of dengue. Only by working together can we prevent this disease from claiming more lives.
MICI Highlights Historic Record of $250 Million in Exports
The Minister of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) highlighted that Panama reached a historic record of $250 million in exports during the first quarter of the year, bringing more Panamanian products to the world.
According to the minister, this increase is due to the boost from sectors such as agriculture, agroindustry, fishing, agriculture, and industry, all of which have shown significant progress.
“Panama has been moving from the fields, industries, and seas in one direction: towards integral and regional development, alongside people who plant with hope and transform with innovation what they harvest with pride,” he emphasized.
Government Stays Firm on Law 462 Despite Strikes and Rejects New Dialogue Table
After three weeks of strikes and work stoppages by various sectors in protest against Law 462, which reforms the Social Security Fund (CSS), President José Raúl Mulino emphasized that the law is non-negotiable and will remain in effect.
During his weekly press conference, the president ruled out any possibility of dialogue on this legislation and warned that if the aim is to set up another dialogue like the Penonomé Unified Table, this government will not engage in it.
Mulino defended the legitimacy of the legislative process, emphasizing that it was not a “midnight coup” and that the law had been one of the most debated since the recovery of democracy. He also stated that it is impossible to think that 48 democratically elected deputies voted for a law meant to harm Panama.
He further acknowledged that the approved project is quite different from the one presented by the Executive but assured that consultations had been held with technical and international organizations, which endorsed its viability.
The president insisted that the reform does not increase the retirement age nor affect educators and labeled as a “crime” the use of students as shields for political protests.
“There is no reason, because there is nothing in the sector happening right now to paralyze the country,” he reiterated.
Mulino also clarified that the law privatizes social security services, stating that 90% of the CSS funds will be managed by the Caja de Ahorros and the National Bank, while the difference will be diversified to seek the best profitability so that these funds can generate returns for the CSS itself.
Minister Juan Carlos Navarro Authorizes Free Access to All National Parks This Saturday
The Minister of Environment (MiAmbiente), Juan Carlos Navarro, signed a resolution authorizing free entry to all national parks and areas managed by the ministry this Saturday, May 10, for individuals registered as birdwatchers in the Global Big Day.
On this day, thousands of birdwatchers around the world will go out to record as many bird species as possible in just 24 hours. This project also aims to promote conservation, employment, ecotourism, and sustainable development.
Thanks to its strategic location and natural wealth, the country is a key point in the continent’s migratory route. With over 20 organized groups and nearly 1,000 trained individuals, we will visit parks, islands, mountains, and rural communities to celebrate our biodiversity.
Panama Canal Conducts Census in Río Indio, What is the Goal?
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) highlighted that the socioeconomic census is a key tool for understanding the living conditions in the area in a comprehensive manner.
The Panama Canal is conducting a socioeconomic census in 75 communities located in the Río Indio Lake project area, with the goal of gathering detailed information about living conditions and available resources in this strategic region.
According to a statement from the Panama Canal Authority, “This data collection will be crucial for designing public policies focused on the human, economic, and environmental development of the area.”
Ilya Espino de Marotta, Deputy Administrator of the Canal and project coordinator, explained that the census will help make decisions based on concrete information and strengthen the dialogue with communities, as has already been done in the Eastern Watershed, where sustainable development projects are being promoted alongside local families.
“The census aims to generate precise and updated information about the various basic capitals for sustainable development: human, social, economic, physical, and natural,” detailed Espino de Marotta. She added that this exercise should not be confused with an opinion survey, as its focus is strictly technical and aims to ensure transparency in planning.
The Deputy Administrator thanked the more than 765 families who have already voluntarily participated in the process and encouraged those who have not yet been surveyed—especially due to interruptions—to visit the community relations offices for guidance.
The Río Indio Lake project is part of an integrated strategy by the Canal to secure the water sources that supply more than two and a half million people in the country. This initiative aims to preserve one of the country’s most important natural resources while promoting the well-being of local communities.
