Police will keep your French home safe during holidays

The Opération Tranquillité Vacances service from the French police or gendarmerie has swung back into action, and you can easily make use of it if you’re going on holiday over the summer

Every year, the local police and gendarmeries offer a free service to watch over your house or boat during their rounds.

This helps prevent burglary, which is said to be especially likely in the months of July and August, according to the ONDRP (l'Observatoire de la délinquance et réponses pénales).
The service will keep watch over your property every day that you are away, including during evening and weekends

Arranging protection is straightforward.

Download a form from the servicepublic.fr website

There are different forms for Paris and the petite-couronne departments, and the rest of France.

Then, simply take the form - along with proof of your address (a utilities bill, for example) - to the appropriate police commissariat or gendarmerie brigade for your area. Further details are available via the website.

In Paris, you must give at least five days’ notice ahead of your departure date, and elsewhere at least 48 hours’ notice.

The police advise homeowners to be vigilant even if they have the service in place, however, and recommend that holidaymakers should:

• Close all their windows and shutters before leaving
• Not let their post build up in their letterbox for too long (perhaps ask a neighbour to pick it up if necessary)
• Make sure there are no precious jewellery, objects, or large sums of money left in the house