This is a very useful and an eye opening thread. The Switzerland of old had really lulled us into a very unreal sense of safety at all times and all places. Obviously, things have changed a lot, and for the the worse.

Special thanks to all posters who shared their experiences here. We have a University going daughter and the first thing I did last night when I read this thread was to make her aware of all this. We take so many things for granted here that its good to have a reality check once in a while.

All said and done, the most important thing to do is to take precautions and avoid (whenever possible) being in a vulnerable position in the first place.

When I was learning to drive, I was taught the concept of "defensive driving" i.e. always anticipating what the person in front, back or side of you might be doing and being prepared or acting accordingly. Perhaps the same principle should apply here.

On a similar note, the wife of a visitor from the middle east (first time visitor to CH and Geneva) had her purse stolen two days ago around the the lake of Geneva and lost a lot of valuables.

With all these things happening increasingly in CH, I wonder if there is anything special being done by the law enforcement authorities.

there was an article a few weeks back that
1. traincontrollers will be wearing guns
2. Geneva will get the same cameras as in London
3.something else that I cannot remember


It is about time they realize things are going wrong and they are doing a little about it. although I must admit I have never seen a country where the police is soooooo ineffective, so bureaucratic and simply afraid of the public (but that is just my opinion)

Thanks. I had asked because my lack of local language skills means I am only restricted to Swissinfo and The Local

Couldn't agree more with your opinion of the police here though. I can remember a few situations where the police seemed to actively avoid getting involved in a difficult situation. I am glad they have realised that with changing times, things need to be done differently now.

"Switzerland of old" ?? You mean the Switzerland of the late 1920ies and early 1950ies ? Because crime started to get worse in the late 1950ies and already in the 1960ies, our teachers warned about dangerous chaps who might love to abuse and kill teeanager-boys. One of the secondary class teachers already in 1965 regularily controlled the area. Suppose that his looks were a good deterrent. No drug crime yet in those times, but after about 1967, the house door had to remain locked all day long. In the mid and late 1970ies came things like drug-related crime and terrorism (Baader-Meinhof etc). So that I do not quite see your point. Unless of course you are happily in your 80ies

Police ? Which one ? Because there is no "Swiss Police". So, do you refer to the police of Fribourg/Freibourg, of Vaud, of Neuchâtel ? Bureaucratic is what police in most places IS and in fact has to be. Here in Zurich, I do NOT believe that police is afraid of the public, rather a bit the other way round

You may have noticed that the Zuger-Polizei had to call in a specialist from Zurich to do the drawing of the suspect. Their unit generally has a good reputation but as this shows, they have their limits. You now may jump up and down and say that the federalist approach here is all wrong and that a centralized force would be the way. But the Canton based forces are generally better rooted locally than any such central super force ever could be

I cannot tell about the Police Vaudois or the Police Fribourgeois, but the Zürcher Tschugger enjoy getting involved in difficult situations, at times rather a bit too much so And in the City of Zürich, with Police Commander Hotzenköcherle, you have a classical hardliner militarist in charge

And there's already a post-it note stuck to a tree saying "Whoever comes here to rape, please stop immediately. Maybe where you come from this is acceptable, but not here.".

Attacks on women have happened throughout the centuries, even here in Switzerland. I know of one woman who was raped in the 1940's and another one in the 1970's - all involved people were Swiss.

So, women, try avoid walking alone at night. The chances are nothing will happen but it's not a 100% guarantee.

So why can't we have a Swiss police force, something like the London Metropolitan Police Force. Some such force that can draw pictures and work cameras, gather evidence correctly etc. Why do we have a force that is more interested in handing out parking tickets than catching rapists and gunmen.

I have called the police twice in Bern and twice in Freiburg. None of the responses were satisfactory. The last time in Freiburg they turned me away after an assault, I had a broken shoulder, they told me there was no point as the Swiss culprit would not be punished! My doctor insisted I go back and insist on making a complaint. They grudgingly took the details and I got the culprit into court.

cause they dont make money doing that.....do they have quotas here like in the UK?
I was watching this last night and was amazed at how proud they are to write tickets : its the part with the women cops

Indeed, I meant the Switzerland of the 80s, 90s and even the 2000s...I started coming to CH from 1981 and in spite of the drug related crime it was never considered dangerous, an odd incident here and an odd incident there, notwithstanding.