During the Paris Olympics, crime targeting tourists remained at the same level as in a normal summer

According to a document from the Paris police headquarters, the number of visitors who were victims of crime during the Games period is similar to 2023. It was even down sharply in previous weeks.

The influx of spectators to Paris for the Olympic Games has not led to an increase in acts of delinquency targeting tourists, according to a report from the police headquarters consulted by France Télévisions and franceinfo on Friday, August 30.

In total, 958 French or foreign tourists “were victims of an offence” in Paris or the rest of the Ile-de-France region between July 15 and August 11, according to the census by the police headquarters, which covers a period that is wider than the competition itself (which lasted from July 26 to August 11). Among these victims, 261 had come to Paris specifically for the Olympic Games, according to the data.

Over the period from July 29 to August 11, which covers most of the duration of the Olympic Games, the number of tourists who were victims of an offence (606) is very slightly lower than the count for 2023 on the same dates (629).

Over the longer period considered by the police headquarters, from July 15 to August 11, the number of visitors concerned is even significantly lower than the previous year (958 compared to 1,368 in 2023). Before the opening ceremony, the number of tourist victims was in fact “nearly twice lower than in the same period in 2023”we can read in this document.

According to an initial assessment by the Paris tourist office, just over 11 million visitors took part in activities related to the Olympic Games between July 23 and August 11. A number comparable to the total number of visitors recorded over the same period in 2023, but which does not include tourists who came to Paris while avoiding sporting events.

A significant security operation was also deployed for the Olympic Games, involving 35,000 police officers and gendarmes as well as 18,000 soldiers.

Thefts represent the majority of the offences recorded by the police headquarters, whether they are pickpocketing, in public transport, cafes, restaurants or hotels are the most frequent. Only 6.1% of the victims recorded suffered violent robberies.

Foreign nationals, “believed to be cash holders, considered more vulnerable and less likely to file complaints”are the most affected, explains the prefecture, in particular tourists of American, German, Dutch or Chinese nationality. The French nevertheless remain the second nationality affected – they represented 85% of visitors who came for the Olympic Games.

Scams, such as buying tickets for the Games on fraudulent websites or accommodation fraud, account for 5.2% of acts to the detriment of tourists. The prefecture adds that sexual assaults have been “very limited”and lists “five tourists” who came for the Olympic Games and were victims of sexual violence during the period.

While the vast majority of acts committed to the detriment of tourists at the Games are concentrated in Paris, the town of Saint-Denis, which is home to the Stade de France and the Olympic village, accounts for 9.3% of the total number of acts reported.