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Police and Safety in Prague.
- By Libor Kapicka
- Published 07/6/2007
- Police, Safety, Emergency
- Unrated
Libor Kapicka
View all articles by Libor Kapicka
Prague is comparatively safe city; crimes of violence are very seldom.Is Prague a safe city? Well, we have to say it’s not more dangerous than any other European City. Statistically you are more likely to be robbed in a North American city than in Prague. Don’t be paranoid and just look after your belongings. Crime rate is sill low but common safety precautions should be taken. Don’t keep luggage and valuables visible in your car, you should even try and remove the cd player - even if it is a rented car. Don’t leave valuables in unattended hotel rooms, instead use hotel safe or take them with you. The biggest danger for tourists is pickpocketing. This is most common where large groups gather i.e. in crowded trams or busy tourist spots. When travelling it is useful to keep a photocopy of your passport and a note of your credit card number. This way if you are unlucky enough to loose or have these items stolen you will be able to get replacement travel documents and access to your money. According to Czech law you should have with you proof of identification at all times. In reality though the police rarely ask for it. If you been robbed or are the victim of any crime you should immediately report it to the police. Most police attendants won’t speak English but they should contact interpreter. Usually you will need a police report to claim insurance. We recommend that if it is not necessary then don’t go into the main stations, Hlavni nadrazi a Nadrazi Holesovice, and the neighboring park at night. We call this area ‘sherwood’ as many unemployed and homeless peoples hang around there. Otherwise Prague is quite safe even in the night. It would be very unusual, except pickpockets, that you will be targeted for any kind of crime, especially because you’re a tourist.
EMERGENCY FREE PHONE NO.
150 - Fire Fighters
155 - Medical Emergency
156 - City Police
158 - Police
On these Numbers operators speak mostly Czech language only - better to ask anybody to explain your problem instead of you than to call directly.
112 - Unified European Emergency Call (operator speaks Czech, English, German)
Watch out for pickpockets. Pickpockets in Prague are very skilful. They usually act in a group and target trams, metros and other crowded places. Be particularly careful on trams 14, 17, 22 and 23. They are more frequent during public holidays and Christmas season.
Other thing you should be careful are Prague taxi drivers, as overcharging in quite phenomenal (worst in EU). Never take a taxi off the street. When eating in restaurants you should check your bill, as many restaurants try wrongly counting it (but this is now getting better, only in cheaper places this could be happening).
Is safe to drink water from a tap? The water supply in Prague is of a good quality. It is generally considered safe to drink water from the tap.

