Figures released yesterday by the Surete Publique (public security department, or police force) show that Monaco is still one of the safest places to live.

With approximately 1 police officer for every 60 residents, there really is very little to fear walking home late at night or strolling around town wearing your diamonds. In fact it may be safer to wear the precious gems than to leave them at home, since one of the very few crimes to have risen last year is burglary. Street crime dropped by 0.26% in 2008 and represents just over 19.5% of criminal activity, much lower than the 30% to 50% in other Western countries. Police have access to images from 400 closed circuit cameras installed around the Principality which add an extra layer of intelligence to the knowledge of the bobby on the beat. Unfortunately the videos didn't prevent 12 cars being stolen, 2 more than last year. But the good news is that most criminal activities have either fallen or remained around the same level, with an overall reduction of 0.15%.

Besides caring for its own population, the police force in Monaco is a member of Interpol. It received worldwide recognition in October 2008 for arresting 2 suspected members of the "Pink Panthers" gang of armed robbers. One of the criminals was spotted by an eagle eyed Monegasque policeman after mug shots were circulated around the world. The Principality will be hosting a meeting of countries which have been victimised by the gang in March this year.