France is used to seeing heavy tourism during the summer months – and the numbers are only expected to increase in 2018. The influx of travelers often means a greater target for crimes in common tourist locations, so the country is bracing itself by deploying 5,000 extra police officers to protect tourists coming into the country.France has been sending the officers to the capital city since June 11 and will continue the effort until September 30. They’ll be placed in popular tourism stomping grounds around Paris in hopes of combatting the frequent crimes that occur like pickpocketing and other scams. The officers will be stationed at The Louvre, Montmartre, the Champs-Elysées, the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter, Châtelet and Opéraand and the Trocadéro, among other locations.What the officers will be prepared to look out for – and what you should look out for, too, if you’re headed to Paris – was outlined by Senior Paris Security Official Frédéric Dupuch. He told Le Parisien that, “90% of thefts that tourists suffer are from bag snatchers or street sellers, card sharks or people with fake petitions.”Those crimes can take the forms of “magic shows as distractions, offering roses or CDs while walking, or fake taxis and police officers,” according to UK newssite Express. That means you should probably keep an extra close eye out for sketchy-looking street inhabiters that might be looking to take your money and/or belongings.Even though France has suffered from high-profile terrorist attacks in recent years, tourism in the City of Light hasn’t slowed in the slightest. France was even recently ranked No. 61 on the Institute for Economics and Peace’s Global Peace Index, which is considered a “high” state of peace, according to the institute. By comparison, the US ranked No. 121.H/T: ExpressSign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.
