France's top cop tells tourists that pickpockets, petty criminals won't darken City of Light

August 2, 2013 at 8:55PM
French Police Officers stand guard at the Louvre Museum during a visit of French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, unseen, in Paris Friday Aug. 2, 2013 during a tour focused on security at the city's top tourist areas.
French Police Officers stand guard at the Louvre Museum during a visit of French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, unseen, in Paris Friday Aug. 2, 2013 during a tour focused on security at the city's top tourist areas. (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

PARIS — Visitors to Paris take note: Interior Minister Manuel Valls assures you that the City of Light is dealing with the pickpockets and petty criminals that have recently targeted tourists.

France's top cop toured some major sites Friday, from the Louvre Museum to the Eiffel Tower, to check on his tourist-friendly plan and put out the word that "Paris is a safe city."

The French capital has been getting a bad rep recently because of a rise in the number of small-scale crimes on tourists. The Louvre Museum even closed for a day in April when employees angered by pickpockets walked off the job.

In response, Valls has added 200 police to survey major tourist sites and put out a stay-safe guide in six languages.

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