Crime in the south of France?

Crime in the south of France?

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buzzer

Original Poster:

3,559 posts

247 months

Monday 5th August 2013
quotequote all
We are on holiday in Valbonne at the moment... It's about 10 mile inland from Cannes.

The village itself is a loverly place, but walking from the hotel, and then around the village, one thing stuck me... Security.

Many of the doors in the village had multiple locks on them, there were bars on many windows... And walking around the hotel, many properties had security gates on them....

Is there a problem with crime around here?

VEIGHT

2,371 posts

235 months

Monday 5th August 2013
quotequote all
A friend has a place in Grasse and has been burgled a number of times. Last one was when everyone was in the villa - 1 guy jumped the fence and took money and handbags (Was in the summer so doors open) then left on a motorbike. When empty you can't get in though, shutters on every window etc. I guess it must be common.

davepoth

29,395 posts

206 months

Monday 5th August 2013
quotequote all
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23493159

And that's just the most recent one.

Chozza

808 posts

159 months

Monday 5th August 2013
quotequote all
Probably more to do with absent owners rather than an increased security risk...
I.e. lots of property down that way are second/holiday homes so aren't occupied for weeks or months at a time.
Our apartment in Cannes la Bocca ( just down the road) has the multipoint door looks , shutters and bars on the windows etc. as its not occupied

eltax91

10,049 posts

213 months

Monday 5th August 2013
quotequote all
My companies emea HQ is in Sophia antipolis, Valbonne. When we were the a few weeks ago, for a conference at the Novotel, one of my French colleagues was advising us all to ensure no valuables were left on the car etc as around the area are a number of social housing projects,a only housing those with addictions and in poor financial situations.

The office, being a place that sells and as such stocks a lot of IT equipment, is heavily secured and we have a 24hr security presence on site.

There have been two occasions where we have had break ins where one guy has distracted the guard (urinating in the bushes the best effort!) whilst another has broken in, so we now have two guards!

All the staff take all their belongings home each night, nobody leaves anything.

Mobile Chicane

21,245 posts

219 months

Tuesday 6th August 2013
quotequote all
In Southern Europe, bars / grilles on windows / big gates, are a design legacy from the Moorish invasion.

I wouldn't worry too much about them. (But I wouldn't leave them open, either.)