Skip to main content
On-the-spot France

French take to Neighbourhood Watch schemes amid rise in burglaries

Issued on:

Burglaries are on the increase in France, up by 18% over the last five years. The French Ministry of the Interior says there’s one every 90 seconds. In September it launched a nationwide plan to fight both theft and armed robbery. But it’s not going fast enough for some French people. Keen to take a more active role in crime prevention, an increasing number are joining a citizens surveillance system known as voisins vigilants – inspired by the anglophone Neighbourhood Watch schemes. The network first came to France a decade ago but has really taken off over the last couple of years, with more than 1,000 branches nationwide. But some say the system is open to abuse.

DR/www.voisinsvigilants.org
Page not found

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.