Crime in Greece

In Fact and Fiction

This week I’d like to raise a serious topic, which should be of especial interest to those who have never been to Greece before - how safe is it?

Those of us who have been many times know that it is one of the safest counties in Europe. Certainly there is crime, but it seldom impacts the tourist. Most Greeks are scrupulously honest towards visitors.

As one small example, one year I went with a package holiday company to the island of Symi. On the day of departure for home, we had a very early start and were asked to leave our luggage at the port by where the ferry to take us to Rhodes would be docking. Due to a misunderstanding, I thought the tour company rep would then put our bags on the boat when it came in. We therefore just got on the ferry and left our bags to be put on board by the rep.

Symi Harbour

When we got to Rhodes about two hours later, our bags weren’t on the boat. Everyone else had got it right and carried their bags onto the ferry - but not me. Oops. The rep on Rhodes phoned the rep on Symi to see if our bags were still there. They were sitting by themselves exactly where I had left them. No-one had touched them in two hours. The rep collected them and arranged for them to be put on the next ferry and sent on the next plane home. They reached us, perfectly intact, a day later. It did make travelling home from the airport a lot easier, but I don’t recommend it. There are few places where it would be safe to leave your bags unattended, but a small Greek island is one of them.

Crimes Against Tourists

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve visited Greece but never once have I experienced or witnessed a crime. They do happen, of course, and you have to be wary in any crowded streets. Thieves target tourists in places like the markets in Athens, and the busiest spots in party places like Santorini, Ios and Mykonos. Keep a close eye - and a hand - on your wallet, handbag or purse, and be wary if anyone tries to engage you in any conversation which seems a little odd. They may be trying to distract you while a colleague dips a hand in your pocket.

Don’t flash your cash around, and don’t leave bags unattended, even in hotel lobbies. And watch out for nuns! Female thieves dress up as nuns and try to sell crosses, which is not something raising money for charity but a distraction method prior to a theft attempt.

Beware the Nun!

Violent Crime

Greece has a low rate of violent crime. Only 18.1% of Greeks report experiencing or witnessing any acts of crime, violence, or vandalism. By world standards, this is comparatively low. Greeks say the crimes they are most fearful of are vandalism, theft, and drug abuse. One of the most common crimes in the country is corruption, something unlikely to affect the average tourist.

The murder rate is 0.75 incidents per 100,000 people - again, a very low rate compared to other countries.

According to INTERPOL, the most common crimes are human trafficking, people smuggling and drug crime.

Tourist Police

If anything does happen, then head for the nearest police station to report it. All police stations will have a section for the Tourist Police. The officers will speak multiple languages between them, and as well as checking hotel and restaurant prices, they are also responsible for dealing with crimes against tourists. If you have something stolen, you’ll need to report it to the Tourist Police and get a form recording the theft to submit with any insurance claim.

Crime in Fiction

The closest you are likely to come to crime in Greece is reading a crime novel while you’re there. There are some good crime novels set in Greece, including Fire on the Island (reviewed on our website), The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith, Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger (the first in a long series featuring Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis), and books by Petros Markaris, Yannis Maris, Paul Johnston, Anne Zouroudi and Sergios Gakas.

Till next time

Yammas!

Mike and Donna

Greece Travel Secrets