Foreign police on the beat in Croatia this tourist season

(Photo: PU splitsko-dalmatinska)

ZAGREB, 9 July (Hina) – As part of the project Safe Tourist Destination, 11 foreign police officers from five countries will be staying in the area of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County during July and August, representatives of the Police Department in Rijeka said at a press conference on Monday.

A total of 30 foreign police officers from eight countries have also arrived in Split-Dalmatia County as part of the project, and they will be assisting and supporting the Croatian police until the end of August there, as well as their own nationals, in case of any emergency situations.

Foreign police officers from eight countries have arrived at the Split-Dalmatia Police Department, namely the Republic of Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Korea.

Police official Vlado Haramija emphasised that as part of this project of the Ministry of the Interior, which until now was called Safe Tourist Season, more than 1,000 police officers from other European countries have stayed in the areas of several police departments during the summer.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the implementation of this project, and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Police Department has been involved for 19 years, said Haramija.

Promoting Croatia as a safe and open destination

Due to a large number of travellers from Slovenia in the Kvarner region and an increased need for cooperation with Slovenian police officers, it has been requested that a Slovenian police officer be deployed from the beginning of July, instead of the usual period from mid-July to mid-August. As a result, Slovenian police officer Drago Butara will be stationed on the island of Krk from July 1 to August 14.

(Photo: PU primorsko-goranska)

During July, two Polish officers will work in Rijeka, and they will also assist the Maritime Police. Throughout July and August, two Slovakian police officers will be deployed in the area of responsibility of the Crikvenica Police Station.

Two German officers will be working on the island of Lošinj in July and August, each for one month, while two Serbian police officers will rotate in Opatija for the same period.

A coordinator for the project, Siniša Anđelić, said that this kind of cooperation is very valuable, as it promotes Croatia as a safe and open destination, and makes communication easier for foreign tourists while reducing stress.

Foreign police officers in tourist destinations across the Kvarner region go on patrols with their Croatian colleagues. They wear the uniforms of their own police forces so that their fellow citizens can more easily recognise them, but they do not carry weapons nor have police authority, meaning they do not participate in interventions.

(Photo: PU primorsko-goranska)

Those who have previously taken part in the project in Croatia often assist with lost documents, traffic accidents, and even cases where elderly tourists go missing, as was highlighted at the press conference.

A total of 30 foreign police officers from eight countries have recently arrived in Split-Dalmatia County as part of the Safe Tourist Destination project, and from 1 July to 29 August, they are assisting and supporting the Croatian police, as well as their own nationals, in case of any emergency situations.