Paris calls in Romanian police to tackle petty crime

The Paris police chief said on Tuesday that the city will be calling in 30 Romanian police officers to carry out joint patrols, in a bid to tackle a crime problem blamed on Romanian nationals.

Getty Images

Paris police prefect Michel Gaudin said that the officers would arrive near the end of November.

"We have absolutely nothing against Romanians, but this delinquency is a reality," he said.

He said eight Romanian police officers were already working with Paris police on investigations.

French authorities have repeatedly accused members of the Roma minority, who arrive in France from Romania and Bulgaria, of being responsible for a rise in petty crimes.

A total of 9,800 Romanian citizens were detained in Paris between January and the end of October, police said, up from 7,465 throughout 2010.

A police study released in July said "delinquency generated by Romanian nationals" in Paris and the surrounding region was up 72 percent in the first half of 2011.