Milan, Paris, London and other larger European cities are ‘no go areas’, where personal security cannot be guaranteed and street crime is rife.

Milan, Paris, London and other larger European cities are ‘no go areas’, where personal security cannot be guaranteed and street crime is rife. To enter a residential building in Moscow, you need an access code. By the time you reach the apartment, you are likely to pass through three more doors all designed to keep out unwanted visitors and criminals. Some buildings even have security and video surveillance. But it seems that Belgrade has been largely spared. Darko Senic, Head of the Criminal Department of the Belgrade police says that Belgrade was ranked among the safest cities in terms of reported crime at a recent meeting of European police forces. Local media do report cases of murder and robbery, but such incidents are usually committed within criminal groups or are family-related. It is very rare to hear of a case in which a passer-by or tourist was attacked. What’s more, in Belgrade, the ‘bad guys’ are much more likely to be caught than in other European cities – the Belgrade police’s clear-up rate of 60 per cent compares favourably with other big cities. In London, for example, just 17 per cent of cases are solved. Belgrade is a transit hub for the region; crime and criminals spill in from the surrounding area to augment local criminal gangs. However, police cooperation with authorities from those countries is improving every year to meet the challenge. The Ministry of Internal Affairs contributes greatly to Interpol’s work via communication officers and also works bilaterally with neighbouring police forces, Senic stated.Most crime in Belgrade is petty and property-related. Of the 2,206 robberies recorded in the last year, most of them were related to theft from stores and businesses, and 40 per cent of those were solved. What worries the authorities is the rise of juvenile delinquency, serious crime and murder, particularly gangland killings which, from time to time, are particularly gruesome. In one recent case, the severed head of a young man was found on Boulevar Aleksander, and his body in Karadjordje Park.
Senic explained that 60 per cent of murders originate from rivalry between drugs gangs. Last year, Belgrade police broke up no less than eleven criminal gangs dealing in narcotics. Another criminal group from Romania and Bulgaria were apprehended, suspected of the misuse and falsification of credit cards on a massive scale. Car theft is on the decline but, these days, insurance fraud associated with it is on the rise. Senic estimates that, out of every seven cars reported stolen, one is falsely reported missing as part of an insurance claim fraud.

Visitors are, if anything, even safer in the city than their Serbian hosts. Serbians, as a whole, are regarded as being hospitable and are renowned for their friendly – if somewhat conservative – attitude towards people from abroad. This trait is becoming even more obvious these days, as broken personal and business connections with people in neighbouring countries are being re-established.

However, it is still not recommended to stand out when it comes to religious and sexual orientation or personal appearance – ideological logos and sport-related emblems, in particular, are best avoided – as these can lead to unpleasant situations and insults from those who do not share the same stance. Such responses can be easily seen when soccer and other sports games take place in the city, and the presence of security forces is boosted accordingly, especially when foreign clubs come to Belgrade.

“[Last] summer, the police put in place special measures in order to heighten security for travelling foreigners. There have been no assaults on foreigners since the beginning of 2009,” explained Senic.

Speaking to people on the streets of the city, Balkan Insight found that both Belgraders and foreigners believe it to be a safe place, especially when compared to other European cities. With normal, sensible precautions, citizens from anywhere in the world should be out of harm's way. Milan, 28, from Belgrade said that, if foreigners “associate with the right people, they will be safe,” whilst Eluda, 31, from Zambia told us that she feels safe at night, although she always makes sure to stay away from dark alleys.
On the other hand, Diana from Kraljava complained that the police are “usually not where they need to be,” and that racism can be a problem, especially for people from neighbouring states.
Everyone we spoke to said that they hear and read about street crime through the media, although none of them had been a victim of, or witnessed, such an incident.Foreigners are advised to stay out of risky situations, but also to remain worry-free, as it is most likely that nothing bad will happen while they are in Belgrade and Serbia,” said Senic.This can only be a good thing for the hordes of people – both tourists and locals – drawn out onto the streets of Belgrade as the temperatures rise, the cafes spill out into Knez Mihajlova and the splavs throw open their doors to the crowds along the river, all enticing them to enjoy warm, fun and safe evenings in Belgrade.