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French former policeman turns to animation to warn tourists of crime French former policeman turns to animation to warn tourists of crime
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Former Paris police officer Christophe Gadenne knows all the tricks of the thieving trade. Former Paris police officer Christophe Gadenne knows all the tricks of the thieving trade. Five years of hearing distraught tourists describe how pickpockets and scammers have ruined their holidays in the French capital made him determined to do something above and beyond the call of official duty.
Five years of hearing distraught tourists describe how pickpockets and scammers have ruined their holidays in the French capital made him determined to do something above and beyond the call of official duty. Today, four years after leaving the police force, Gadenne, 35, has produced a series of free, short, animated video clips advising holidaymakers how to avoid being robbed and ripped off. The Safety Scouts Advice series covers most of the scams that tourists face when they arrive in Paris.
Today, four years after leaving the police force, Gadenne, 35, has produced a series of free, short, animated video clips advising holidaymakers how to avoid being robbed and ripped off. You are sitting on a sunny cafe terrace enjoying a drink when someone slaps a petition on the table and asks you to sign it. You smile politely and shake your head and they disappear … along with your phone or purse. Or a complete stranger come up and hugs you while rifling through your pockets, or insists you accept a “gold” ring they have supposedly picked up from the floor. Or maybe the taxi has taken you way out of your way en route from the airport to your hotel and is demanding an extortionate fare.
The Safety Scouts Advice series covers most of the scams tourists face when they arrive in Paris.
You are sitting on a sunny cafe terrace enjoying a drink when someone slaps a petition on the table and asks you to sign it. You smile politely and shake your head and they disappear … along with your phone or purse.
Or a complete stranger come up and hugs you while rifling through your pockets, or insists you accept a “gold” ring they have supposedly picked up from the floor.
Maybe the taxi has taken you way out of your way en route from the airport to your hotel and is demanding an extortionate fare.
The videos, most of them less than a minute long, are produced by Gadenne with the help of English-speaking friends, and have been translated or subtitled into other languages, including Chinese, Korean and Romanian. They were originally made for visitors to Paris, hence the Eiffel tower in the landscape, but have since branched out to common crimes in other capitals.The videos, most of them less than a minute long, are produced by Gadenne with the help of English-speaking friends, and have been translated or subtitled into other languages, including Chinese, Korean and Romanian. They were originally made for visitors to Paris, hence the Eiffel tower in the landscape, but have since branched out to common crimes in other capitals.
“When I was a police officer, I dealt with literally thousands of victims of aggressions and crimes like this,” Gadenne told the Guardian. “I have seen how these scams can totally ruin a holiday. I’ve had a family with little children in tears in front of me crying because they have been robbed and aggressed. Some tourists are completely traumatised. Nobody can be indifferent to this when they see how it affects the victims.“When I was a police officer, I dealt with literally thousands of victims of aggressions and crimes like this,” Gadenne told the Guardian. “I have seen how these scams can totally ruin a holiday. I’ve had a family with little children in tears in front of me crying because they have been robbed and aggressed. Some tourists are completely traumatised. Nobody can be indifferent to this when they see how it affects the victims.
Related: Vacancy opens up for PC with an eye for offbeat crimesRelated: Vacancy opens up for PC with an eye for offbeat crimes
“Some of these scammers are extremely mean, targeting women with young children, who are distracted. The problem is that, while the police often arrest the scammers, they are often released soon afterwards, so prevention is the best solution.”“Some of these scammers are extremely mean, targeting women with young children, who are distracted. The problem is that, while the police often arrest the scammers, they are often released soon afterwards, so prevention is the best solution.”
Most of the scenarios presented in Safety Scouts Advice seem clever but obvious, but Garenne says tourists often need a little “crime vaccine” before travelling. “Most scams are surprisingly simple and relatively easy to avoid,” he says. Most of the scenarios presented in Safety Scouts Advice seem clever but obvious, but Garenne says tourists often need a little “crime vaccine” before travelling. “Most scams are surprisingly simple and relatively easy to avoid,” he says. “It’s not about making people paranoid, but giving them a little short, simple inoculation of potentially useful information that can be stored away in the back of their mind but brought out if they are confronted with one of these scams.”
“It’s not about making people paranoid, but giving them a little short, simple inoculation of potentially useful information that can be stored away in the back of their mind but brought out if they are confronted with one of these scams.”
Gadenne, who now works as a security consultant, releases a new clip every Wednesday on YouTube. Safety Scouts Advice is also being promoted on the EU’s youth website.Gadenne, who now works as a security consultant, releases a new clip every Wednesday on YouTube. Safety Scouts Advice is also being promoted on the EU’s youth website.