The head of the Paris police department said that crime had fallen significantly around the Eiffel Tower and other tourist hotspots ahead of the Olympics later this year.
Laurent Nunez told AFP that the deployment of extra police had helped reduce incidents of robbery and assault around the Eiffel Tower where the alleged rape of two foreign tourists caused a public outcry last year.
“We’ve had excellent results in this area as well as other tourist zones in Paris,” he told AFP at the foot of the Eiffel Tower on Friday, saying that several dozen police were on the ground around the monument throughout the day.
The number of reported physical assaults fell by 58% to 21 incidents in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period of 2023, while reported crimes involving property, which includes theft, fraud and vandalism, fell by 18% to 170 incidents, he said.
“There are controversies, people talking about it being a lawless area or cut-throat. It’s not at all,” he added.
“We will continue to have a very significant police presence in this area which remains one of my priorities for the whole of the Paris region because it’s the image of Paris, it’s where millions of people come each year,” Nunez added.
The quarterly crime statistics include only reported crimes, with the actual number of incidents likely to be higher.
The French capital is racing to prepare for the Olympics which start on July 26 and the Paralympics from August 28.
Pedestrians walk past the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
