Paris In Complete Safety

Paris police officers assisting a tourist.

For a number of years, the Préfecture de Police has been developing a comprehensive system to welcome tourists. The Paris community police have about a hundred public reception points scattered throughout the capital. Among them, the 20 district (arrondissement) central police stations are open 24/7, in order to attend to victims and provide help and assistance (see addresses below).

Foreign visitors can speak to bilingual police officers, either at the reception desk in police stations or patrolling the streets. Throughout the summer, these officers wear badges indicating, by means of a flag, the language(s) they can speak. They can answer simple questions such as basic information (geographic directions or tourist sites) as well as more sensitive questions regarding theft or assault, thereby providing valuable assistance to tourists who do not command the French language.

S.A.V.E. – Système d'Accueil des Victimes Etrangères

The Reception System for Foreign Victims software, available in twenty languages, now allows any police civil servant to record complaints from foreign tourists and to provide them with a receipt in their own language, thus simplifying the visitor's forthcoming procedures at the embassy or in their own country.

New electronic French police ID card
features RFID chip and holographic
images, difficult to forge.
(click to enlarge)

If you are approached...

Some swindlers may impersonate police officers, asking for your identification and money. First of all, bear in mind that a real police officer will never ask for money. You should request to see their white plastic multihued card indicating "Police" in the lower quarter, with a diagonal blue, white and red ribbon in the upper left corner, and bearing various holographic images.

To avoid becoming a victim, follow these tips

To make sure you travel around the city as safely as possible, the Police Department offers some practical advice and useful phone numbers.

We have made some editorial additions to the Police Department's tips, which are shown in purple.

Public places & public transportation

• Do not leave your bags and luggage unattended, and do not accept any bags or packages from a stranger.
• In case you discover any suspicious item, do not touch it and immediately approach the police services.
• Do not let any individual go through a turnstile/gate directly behind you.
• Never buy tickets from scalpers who will charge you extra (up to ten times their value). Use ticket counters or ticket-issuing machines in train/bus/subway stations.

Be careful in the street

• Carry a small bag or a waist-bag/fanny-pack, rather than a backpack.
• If an assailant tries to snatch your bag, do not resist, or you may be injured.
• Do not put your phone and/or portable music player in an outside pocket of your bag or garments.
• Beware of individuals who may divert your attention in order to steal your personal belongings.
• Yell loudly for help if you feel you are in imminent danger or threatened/accosted by anyone.
• Steer clear of commotions and street demonstrations.

Download free brochure
(PDF, 2.2MB).

In restaurants & cafés

• Do not leave your methods of payment in cloakrooms or in your coat on a chair (a pickpocket could sit behind you and steal your belongings).
• Never lay your bag at your feet.
• Do not leave your mobile phone or your wallet on the table.

Your money

• Carry as little cash as you can.
• Use small denominations, credit/debit cards, or travelers' checks for any purchases.
• Carry your money in several places (bags, pockets, money-belt...)
• Do not put your wallet in your back pockets; a front pocket (on pants) or inside jacket pocket is better.
• Keep the PIN code numbers of your credit cards confidential and note them down in a safe place, in case of loss or theft.
• Use ATMs at reputable banks, in well-lit areas.

Your personal identification documents

• Remember to photocopy your passport and any other identification papers to facilitate their re-issue; keep the copies in your hotel or your temporary place of residence.
• In case of loss, contact your country's consulate; in case of theft, also declare it to the police.
• Note down the address and phone number of your hotel or temporary residence, and keep them with you.

Your vehicle

• Close windows and lock doors, including the luggage compartment.
• Do not leave any valuable items in full view (mobile phone, camera, shopping bags, clothing items...)

Always know where to find the police in your neighborhood

• In every arrondissement of the capital city, the Police Prefecture offers various services to the general public.
• Central Police Stations and the SARIJ (division charged with processing and investigating complaints) are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• The local police units (UPQ) are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 8 p.m. These services can provide you with immediate assistance such as: information, aid to victims of crime, and processing complaints.

What to do if you become the victim of an assault or theft

• During an assault, try to make the attacker go away by making as much noise as possible (shouting/screaming).
• Take refuge in the nearest shop and ask someone to call the police.
• Give a description of your attacker: sex, approximate age, hair color & cut, height & weight, distinctive features (beard, scars, tattoos, glasses, etc.).
• Indicate how and the direction in which the attacker fled. In the case of a vehicle, specify the color, brand and – if possible – the licence plate number (even partially).
• Police officers will take you to the nearest police station so as to record your complaint. They will issue you a receipt/copy of the complaint in your own language.
• In the case of physical assault, an officer will also provide you with a written document allowing you to get examined at the medical-legal emergency unit (open 24/7 at 1, place du Parvis Notre-Dame, 75004 Paris; M4: Cité, RER-B: St-Michel - Notre-Dame; phone 01.42.34.82.85). They will issue an official certificate to be added to your file.
• An investigation will then be opened to look for the assailant(s).
• In the case of a theft, go to the nearest police station to lodge a complaint. Save your receipt for insurance purposes.

Police stations in each arrondissement

SARIJ = Service Accueil Recherche Investigation Judiciaire; UPQ = Unité de Police de Quartier

Useful telephone numbers

Emergency police calls.................. 17
Paramedics (SAMU)........................ 15
Fire Department............................ 18
Poison Emergency Center.............. 01.40.05.48.48
Emergency Medical Assistance....... 01.47.07.77.77
Drug Squad Hot Line....................... 0 800 14.21.52 (toll-free)

Paris police assist a tourist at the
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
(click to enlarge)

Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau
127, avenue des Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris
RER-A and Métro lines 1, 2 and 6 — Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile station
Phone: 08.36.68.31.12 (€ 0.34/minute)

Information & Security Department
Telephone information service — Mon. - Fri., 09:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Reception by appointment only — Mon. - Fri., 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Phone: 01.49.96.30.07

Lost Property Service (Le Service des Objets Trouvés)
Préfecture de Police — 36, rue des Morillons, 75015 Paris
Métro station: Convention, line 12
Tram stop: Georges Brassens, line T3; Bus lines: 62, 89, 95
Mon. - Wed., 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Thurs., 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon; Fri., 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; closed Sat. & Sun.
Phone: 08.21.00.25.25 (€ 0.12/minute) or 3430 (€ 0.06/minute + cost of call)

Every day, 600 to 700 objects are turned in to the police, after being found on Paris city streets, in the three surrounding departments (92, 93, 94), on RATP transports, at the three Paris airports, in taxicabs, and other public places. On average, about 150 items are restored to their owners daily. The web site (in French only) offers tips about reporting a loss. Items lost on SNCF trains and RER lines C/D/E are handled by the SNCF, not the police.

Lost or stolen credit cards
MasterCard: 08.00.90.13.87
Visa: 08.92.70.57.05
Visa Premier: 08.92.70.57.05
American Express: 01.47.77.70.00
Eurocard: 01.45.67.84.84
Diner's Club: 08.10.31.41.59

Lost or stolen mobile telephones
Contact your service provider as soon as possible in order to have your line suspended:

• Orange
Service (including subscription) 08.25.00.57.00 (€ 0.15/minute from a fixed line)
Mobicarte: 08.92.70.17.22 (€ 0.34/minute from a fixed line)
Over the Internet: www.orange.fr > mon abonnement > SOS mobile
Access from abroad: +33 6.07.62.64.64 (price of an international call)

• Bouygues Telecom
Fixed price: 08.00.29.10.00 (toll free from a fixed line)
Nomad card: 06.68.63.46.34 (price of a call towards a Nomad mobile phone)
Over the Internet : www.bouyguestelecom.fr > Espace Client
Access from abroad:
    Set price subscriptions: +33 1.46.10.86.86
    Nomad Card offers: +33 6.68.63.46.34 (price of the foreign provider)

• SFR
Option including subscription : 06.10.00.19.00 from a fixed phone (7 days a week, price of a call to an SFR mobile phone)
SFR Card option: 06.14.00.19.00 (6 days a week, price of a call to an SFR mobile phone)
Universal Music Mobile option: 06.12.00.12.00 from a fixed line (6 days a week, price of a call to an SFR mobile phone)
Over the Internet: www.sfr.fr
Access from abroad:
    Options including subscription: +33 6.10.00.19.00
    SFR Card offers: +33 6.14.00.19.00
    UMM offers: +33 6.12.00.12.00

Fill out a complaint form at the nearest police station, including the serial number of your mobile phone (IMEI Code).

Taxis
In case you wish to lodge a complaint, contact the Préfecture de Police, Bureau de la Réglementation Générale des Voitures Publiques: 01.55.76.20.11/02

Related Links

Avoiding Pick-pockets in Paris The U.S. Embassy in Paris offers a collection of invaluable tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of pick-pockets on the street, in the métro, at ATMs, etc. Although the document is aimed at U.S. citizens, the techniques apply equally well to tourists from any country. Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) Created on 8 December 1944 and first organised in January 1945, the CRS are a civilian force (non-military) best known for crowd and riot control, and the re-establishment of order. The organization is a reserve of the French National Police. Crime Statistics While crime in Europe is relatively low, some statistics about France may interest you. For example, France has 17% more assault victims than the U.S., three times the car thefts compared to Germany, double the suicide rate (per 100,000) of the Netherlands, and twice as many people incarcerated as Australia. On the other hand, France has 22% fewer rape victims than the U.K., and the Japanese are 149 times more likely to commit drug offenses than the French. Milipol Paris Sponsored by the French Ministry of the Interior, Milipol Paris is a biennial international exhibition of internal State security, showcasing technological innovation in protecting people and property. With more than 1,000 exhibiting companies from 43 countries, the four-day 2013 event is expected to attract 30,000 visitors; it is scheduled for 19-22 November at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre. National Gendarmerie The Gendarmerie nationale is a branch of the French Armed Forces, in charge of public safety, with police duties among the civilian population (primarily in smaller towns and villages). Its military police force and special forces unit (GIGN) are mandated to fulfill national security duties in support of the Ministry of the Interior. National Police Formerly called the Sûreté nationale, the Police nationale is the main civil law enforcement agency of France, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. The force's primary tasks include conducting security operations (patrols, traffic control, identity checks...), criminal inquiries, serving search warrants, etc. Service d'Aide Médicale Urgente (SAMU) Each department of France organizes its own Urgent Medical Aid Service, a centralized hub which dispatches first response vehicles or ambulances to the scene of an accident or medical emergency; these can include a 'mobile intensive care unit' (MICU) with one or more physicians on board. The Paris service, code-named SAMU75, promises a response time of no more than 15 minutes. Sûreté RATP The Groupe de Protection et de Sécurisation des Réseaux (GPSR), more commonly known as the Sûreté RATP, is a division of the Paris police department charged with the mission of protecting, assisting, and securing both travelers and personnel on the entire network of buses, tramways, métro and RER trains throughout the Paris region, with a force of 1,015 (as of 2009). Tourist Scams and Rip-Offs Rick Steves, publisher of numerous country guide books, offers a compendium of helpful tips. Some classic examples of tourist scams include the "Friendship Bracelet" (common around Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre), the "Found Ring", slow-counting cashiers, the "Thrown Baby" (especially cruel), and "The Stripper". Vigipirate Created in 1978 by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Plan Vigipirate is France's national security alert system, which defines four levels of threats that call for specific measures – including increased police and/or military patrols in subways, train stations and other vulnerable locations.

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Related videos

The first video tracks a suspect through surveillance cameras in the Paris Métro's hallways, as he accosts numerous women in various stations, and then sexually assaults another. (2:38; narration in French only). The Pickpockets video cites 76,000 pickpocketing thefts in Paris during 2012, up 11% from 2011 (source: Observatoire national de la délinquance). Be aware of your surroundings!

TIP: If you place your cursor over each link below the video container, a tool-tip will appear which explains the video's content.