Police in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City admitted on Friday that foreign visitors are the biggest preys of criminals, but quickly reassured that they are exerting effort to protect both tourists and local dwellers.

Tightening security efforts to better protect people was high on agenda as the district’s administration and the police unit gathered for a meeting yesterday.

Nguyen Tan Dat, head of the District 1 police unit, admitted that most robbers or thieves in the locale would target foreign victims, as the district is a hub of international tourists.

In the first three months of this year, there were 17 cases of theft and robbery in District 1, eight of which were targeted at foreigners, Dat said.

“International tourists usually stay in Ho Chi Minh City for a short time so they will move to another place or return to their home countries after reporting the case to police, which makes investigation more difficult,” he explained.

The police chief however added that his unit is enacting different measures, including carrying patrols more frequently and installing more surveillance cameras, to boost security efforts.

There will be more criminal police officers dispatched to conduct additional patrols across District 1 in the second quarter of this year, Dat said.

The police chief asserted that criminal police is a fine unit as they detect and handle up to 40 percent of criminal cases in the locale on an annual basis.

Besides the police officers, there are also urban security units and residential area-level guards, which help increase the security forces, according to the police chief.

Tran The Thuan, chairman of the district’s administration, also asserted that authorities “have enough personnel to carry out 24/7 patrols, not to mention the camera systems and reports and tip-off by local residents.”

In the meantime, the police unit urged District 1 administration to enact measures to tackle scam and dishonest taxi drivers, who will run away with passengers’ belongings and baggage immediately after the foreigners get off their cabs.

The police chief, Dat, also suggested issuing leaflets in foreign languages to warn international tourists against scams and crimes in the city.

The messages conveyed, however, must be gently put as the previous warning leaflets had frightened, rather than reassured, tourists.

Dat also said the police unit will not set up a new force specializing in protecting tourists as widely suggested, because the Ho Chi Minh City administration has tasked its tourism department with doing so.

“The police will provide training for this force, who will help fortify the protection for tourists once they begin their duty,” Dat said.

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