Problemas de delincuencia y seguridad en la Riviera Francesa

With a fascinating history, unique culture, delicious food, stunning architecture, and beautiful countryside, there’s no surprise that the French Riviera is one of the most visited luxury travel destinations in the world. You’ll notice that all of the villas have gates, high fences, and bars or shutters on their windows. These aren’t for aesthetics, they’re for safety.

Según el Ministerio del Interior francés, el número de delitos cometidos en los Alpes Marítimos aumentó un 28% de 2021 a 2022.

Advertencia: Es importante recordar que, en Francia, quien presencie un accidente y no intente socorrer a la víctima, al menos solicitando ayuda, comete un delito penal, castigado con una multa de hasta 75.000 € y una posible pena de prisión de 5 años. Para obtener ayuda en cualquier situación de emergencia, llame al 112.

Types of Crimes Targeting Tourists (& Locals)

The French Riviera is full of tourists — and wealthy ones. So it’s no wonder it’s also full of criminals. Here’s what to watch out for:

Break-Ins

The main type of crime in France is break-ins which amounts to almost half of the reported incidents, despite only 56% of break-ins being reported (que te dice lo que la gente piensa de la policía y su falta de esfuerzo).

There’s a break-in cada dos minutos en Francia, y la Riviera francesa tiene la mayor cantidad de robos que cualquier región, con aproximadamente 8.000 robos cada año. According to a study carried out by INSEE, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region has the second-most burglaries in France, next to Paris. 23,400 burglaries or attempted burglaries of homes in 2022 were reported.

Criminals commonly break in at night and use gas to sedate their victims in the victim’s villa, hotel suite or apartment (they often enter via a terrace or balcony). They then take their time and steal everything of value — including the watches and wedding rings that the victims were wearing as they slept (more on this in this detailed warning about burglaries and gassings).

There’s a lack of police action and sentences (even for very violent break-ins) are shockingly minimal, manteniendo a los criminales en la calle e incentivando a nuevas bandas criminales a establecerse en Francia.

Who’s behind the burglaries: Burglaries in France are often blamed on crime gangs from abroad, but in actuality French men are mostly to blame. Police arrested 20,800 people on suspicion of being behind many of the 250,000 break-ins in France in 2019. The vast majority where men, 25% of those were under 18 and the rest under 30. While 74% of those arrested on suspicion of the crimes, 74% were French nationals, 11% from Africa and 11% from another European country. That said, in the French Riviera in particular, human-trafficking gangs from developing countries often make headlines for break-in rings.

The targets: Jewelry is the most stolen item during burglaries in France, Crime Observatory reported. Next in line are electronics (31%) and then money (29%).

Tips to reduce risk: Tourists should make sure to deadbolt the doors and lock the windows at night. Do not travel with expensive possessions, rent a fancy car, or keep a lot of cash. Don’t show off on social media, or tag your location. Don’t tell strangers where you’re staying or that you’re on holiday.

Pick-Pockets

Otro delito común es el carterismo, que se concentra más en las grandes ciudades y en el transporte público. Bandas francesas y de países menos ricos (en particular, Rusia y Rumanía) trafican con mujeres jóvenes y las obligan a trabajar en grupo para robar a la gente mediante el carterismo. Rodean a las víctimas y las distraen mientras una de las jóvenes les quita sus objetos de valor del bolso, cartera o bolsillo.

Sometimes a scooter will swerve close to a victim and grab their bag or iPhone. Or they will pull up alongside a car and grab valuables through an open window. Some violent criminals will open car doors at stoplights to rob people. Keep your car doors locked and don’t carry anything too valuable.

There are also many gassings on trains. A thief will come up behind your seat, reach over and chloroform you, then take your belongings while you’re unconscious. This especially happens at night and near Marsella. In more crowded trains, they grab your belongings while the train is at a station, then exit the train and run away before you can catch them.

Robo de relojes

Los robos de relojes en la Riviera Francesa, especialmente en Cannes y Saint Tropez, son cada vez más descarados, sofisticados y, en ocasiones, violentos. Entre los puntos más comunes de estos robos se encuentran zonas concurridas como La Croisette en Cannes, donde los turistas suelen exhibir relojes de lujo, lo que los convierte en blancos predilectos. Durante eventos importantes como el Festival de Cine de Cannes, los ladrones aprovechan la aglomeración, a veces aprovechando distracciones o trabajando en grupo para robar discretamente los relojes de las muñecas de los turistas. Cada año, se roban relojes por valor de millones de dólares de las muñecas de los turistas. Los restaurantes y bares del paseo marítimo también sufren incidentes frecuentes, donde un descuido momentáneo puede provocar un robo. Le recomendamos encarecidamente que deje su reloj de lujo en casa; si no lo hace, asegúrese de que esté bien asegurado.

Thefts on Yachts

Un delito menos publicitado, pero frecuente, es el ataque a yates. Se han dado varios casos, sobre todo en Antibes, where crew have been mugged when returning to their yacht after a night out. Yachts moored in marinas throughout the French Riviera, where security tends to be lax, are sometimes boarded by thieves and have valuable items stolen.

Big events such as the Cannes Film Festival are targets. Cannes has become increasingly dangerous during the festival, with gangs of petty criminals looking for rich pickings. Hotel break-ins, purse snatchings and muggings have become commonplace.

Many criminals and prostitutes come to the area to profit from big events. Prostitutes often double as thieves, with groups boarding yachts and while the men are distracted, one excuses herself to go to the bathroom and instead goes from room to room stealing watches, passports, cash, and other valuables.

Physical Assault

Los delitos violentos, como las agresiones sexuales y los delitos con armas de fuego, se consideran relativamente bajos en comparación con otras zonas del mundo si consideramos las cifras de población. Sin embargo, están en aumento y, según diversos informes, son más peligrosos cuanto más al sur se viaja. En particular, las ciudades de la Riviera Francesa, Marsella, Nice y Córcega, presentan, con diferencia, las tasas de delincuencia más altas (más información sobre estas ciudades a continuación), donde los delitos con armas de fuego y los asesinatos entre bandas son frecuentes.

While these incidents usually don’t directly affect travelers to the area, it is something to bear in mind as the organized crime gangs which operate have a distinct hierarchy, and most start at the bottom rung of opportunistic, petty crime and work their way up.

If someone threatens you for your watch or wallet, do NOT resist — give it to them. There are many, many examples of men who have resisted and have ended up in the hospital for weeks, fighting for their lives after taking a bad beating. This is another reason why it’s best to leave your luxury items at home.

The French Riviera area saw an average of 48 murders per year over the last three years.

Issues with Crime Reporting

Tourists often don’t report incidents. Due to the region relying heavily upon tourism, it is well known that a high number of incidents go unreported and certainly do not get published into the public domain. It’s quite often the case where foreigners, usually tourists, are the victims of crime in the south of France. Viewed as being easy prey, foreigners are typically less familiar with their surroundings, are more relaxed in ‘holiday mode’ and rarely want to undergo the added hassle of reporting the crime to the French police. Hotels also often discourage tourists from reporting a crime, as they don’t want the crime to be on the record since they may be legally liable. Also, if the tourist doesn’t report the incident, the hotel can get the victim’s online reviews taken down more easily.

Those working in the tourism and real estate industries suppress information online. En foros en línea como TripAdvisor, los residentes locales (que trabajan en industrias que se lucran con los extranjeros) suelen hacerse pasar por comentaristas imparciales mientras trollean conversaciones sobre delincuencia y niegan que la zona tenga problemas de delincuencia. Muchos grupos de Facebook son gestionados por personas del sector turístico que tienen un incentivo económico para ocultar la verdad sobre los riesgos, y cuando se publican comentarios sobre delincuencia en sus grupos de Facebook, suelen eliminarse rápidamente.

French police have a reputation for not taking crime seriously. In France, there are several issues that make the police ineffective. For one, it’s very difficult to get fired, even if you’re not doing your job. This is doubly true for government workers like police. Secondly, the police feel that there is little they can do to catch criminals (the laws in France restrict police to a point where justice suffers), so they discourage victims from officially reporting crimes. They don’t want their crime statistics to look even worse, since they know they won’t catch the thieves. The reputation is that police in France are slow to respond, refuse to speak English, and most of the time they tell you there’s nothing that can be done. This, of course, only serves to embolden and encourage criminals.

All this makes it difficult to ascertain a true reflection of the threat posed within certain regions, however, with that said, due to our local intelligence sources within certain regions we are able to highlight some of the main concerns and risks posed when travelling to and from certain areas around the southern coast.

If you've been a victim of a crime, you can report it to the police online.

Tips to Avoid Crime

The fact that the French Riviera attracts the wealthiest tourists from around the world is not lost on local con artists, who have come up with a number of scams to outwit travelers of their hard-earned cash. Knowing what to watch out for, and taking a few simple precautions that might not be necessary back home, can make the difference between a great trip and a fiasco:

• Do not bring valuable items like top-tier designer handbags, expensive jewelry, watches worth over $5,000, or wads of cash to the French Riviera.
• Tenga cuidado al viajar. Los tipos de delito más comunes son los carteristas que operan en el transporte público cuando hay mucha gente. Esto también se ha utilizado contra peatones que caminan con bolsos, carteras o cámaras al hombro. En cuanto a la seguridad personal en el transporte público, debe tener en cuenta que los trenes muy retrasados, cerca de la medianoche, en el lado oeste (Nice – Cannes – St Raphaël – Marsella) no tienen buena reputación. Muchas estaciones no tienen personal y los trenes circulan casi vacíos, por lo que los viajeros solitarios pueden preferir evitar viajar tarde en estas rutas si es posible. Tenga cuidado con cualquier miembro del público que parezca colarse en las colas para causar distracción, ya que esta es una técnica popular utilizada por bandas de carteristas: cuando un miembro causa la distracción, el otro miembro tiene como objetivo sus pertenencias. La misma técnica también es utilizada por ladrones y carteristas en lugares turísticos populares y en cajeros automáticos.
• Take sensible precautions to help protect yourself against street crime. Keep important documents and valuables inside your bags by using inside compartments and carry your bag across your body rather than over your shoulder which will make it more difficult to steal. If the strap is short, carry your bag across your chest rather than on your shoulder. Don’t flash around any valuables or cash. 
• Le recomendamos encarecidamente que guarde copias de la página de identificación de su pasaporte, así como de su certificado de nacimiento, licencia de conducir, boletos de tren o avión y tarjetas de crédito. Guarde los originales y las copias en un lugar seguro, pero en lugares separados, preferiblemente en línea. Si es posible, considere escanear estos documentos y guardar los archivos en su cuenta de correo electrónico o en una plataforma cifrada como Sync.com. Esto garantizará que sus datos importantes siempre estén respaldados y sean accesibles.
• Keep a list of emergency telephone numbers to contact banks if credit cards are stolen or lost. It is a lot harder to try to  find this information after the event.
• There is a high frequency of vehicle break-ins. Leave nothing in view in the vehicle and above all do not leave valuable objects, passports, money or credit cards in a vehicle. Never leave personal belongings unattended and use secure parking facilities, especially overnight. Be vigilant when renting automobiles, as rented vehicles are a target of choice. When driving be suspicious if individuals signal for you to stop, it is common for thieves to obstruct a road or distract the driver by flashing headlights with the sole purpose to get you to stop your vehicle. It is then, once you have stopped that they will seize the opportunity to steal your bags or other valuable objects. Be especially vigilant when stopped at traffic lights, as bags are often snatched from the front passenger seat by thieves travelling on scooters. Keep windows closed and doors locked at all times.
• Be aware that there have recently been cases of “homejacking” – where thieves break into villas and, finding the car keys left on display, steal the rental car as well. Because the car was not “taken by force” (ie. you aren’t in possession of the car keys), renters have found themselves not covered by rental insurance and liable for the whole replacement value of the car.
• In a sidewalk café, put one purse strap under the leg of your chair, and don’t set your wallet or phone on the table or it could get whisked away in a blink of an eye.
• Beach grabs are on the rise: if you go for a dip, don’t leave your stuff unattended, and if you are sunbathing, better to use your purse for a pillow rather than have it just lying there, waiting to be plucked. Better yet, don’t take anything to the beach that would result in heartbreak if stolen.
• If you rent a villa, be alert and ensure the windows and doors are kept locked and deadbolted, especially at night.
• There are news reports of robbers posing as fake Police, using a blue flashing light on their car, pulling over drivers to then demand wallets, mobile phones, and other valuables. These thefts are occurring on motorways at night. Something to be careful of if you’re driving.
• Los ladrones callejeros pueden utilizar la violencia contra sus víctimas y, como resultado, algunos incluso mueren. Tenga cuidado con las pandillas en las esquinas (especialmente en Marsella y Nice) que buscan víctimas potenciales. Si te están asaltando, dale a los ladrones lo que te piden. Nada vale la pena perder la vida.
• Emergency numbers are, for fire/rescue (18), police (17), and medical emergencies (15). If you have any concerns it may be a good idea to program them into your mobile phone before arrival. There is also a European Union-wide emergency number, 112, that will connect you with an operator who speaks both English and the language of the country you are in.

Todos estos consejos no pretenden asustarte y hacer que dejes de viajar al sur de Francia, pero si los tienes en cuenta podrás disfrutar de unas vacaciones más tranquilas y con menos estrés en caso de que surjan problemas inesperados.

The key to having an incident free stay on the French Riviera is to stay relaxed but remain vigilant. Pay attention to crime reports in the area and where possible, seek local advice from a trusted source. Always be aware of the location of your valuables whether it’s your passport, wallet, designer handbag or expensive watch. Remain in well-populated areas and don’t stray of the beaten track, especially at night. Most importantly, always put yourself in the mind of the criminal and ask yourself whether you’re presenting an easy target. If you are, then do something about it.

The crimes highlighted above are certainly not exclusive to the French Riviera. Most of these crimes happen in many of the world’s major cites on a daily basis. Remaining vigilant and applying a litle common sense is usually all that’s needed to ensure that your stay is memorable for the right reasons.

Further Analysis: By City

Here is a detailed crime analysis of the most dangerous locations, broken down by city:

• Marsella: Las tasas de criminalidad son más de cinco veces superiores a las de cualquier otra ciudad de Francia, especialmente la tasa de asesinatos.
• Córcega: La tasa de homicidios más alta de Europa occidental.
• Nice: Rife with pickpocketers and petty thieves.
• cannes:Donde el robo de relojes y joyas está fuera de control.
• This website will let you drill down on the type and amount of reported crimes by area.

The Safest Area: Monaco

The safest city on the French Riviera (and perhaps in the world) is MónacoCon videovigilancia a nivel nacional, tres comisarías de policía y más de un agente de policía por cada 100 habitantes, Mónaco tiene estándares de seguridad tan estrictos que es conocido como la milla cuadrada más segura del mundo.

The 519 police officers, who must go through a two-year intensive training program. They don’t mess around: the rules are extremely strict and while Monaco’s sea-view prison is notoriously comfortable, the court system in Monaco almost always pronounces maximum sentences. So behave yourself!

Mónaco cuenta con un sistema de videovigilancia 24 horas que abarca toda la superficie del Principado, incluyendo la mayoría de los vestíbulos de los edificios residenciales, un sistema de transmisión digno de los mejores ejércitos del mundo y la posibilidad de bloquear cualquier acceso de entrada y salida del Principado en cuestión de minutos. Y no olvidemos a los equipos de vigilancia del Casino y de todos los establecimientos de juego y hoteles.

This works well for residents and tourists, as you won’t need to worry about your diamond bracelet or designer bag being stolen, or your child going missing. If your child wanders off, the police will be able to track him/her with facial-recognition video tracking and find your child in a matter of minutes.