KOCHI: Kochi is safe for foreign tourists. Though the tourism destinations such as Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and others are witnessing a spurt in the inflow of foreign tourists every year, the crimes against foreigners is very low. According to the police officers, no such cases have been reported in the past two years. Significantly, the figures available with NCRB said the crimes against foreigners recorded an increase in Kerala as the state shares 3.5 per cent of such incidents in the country.
"For the past few months, no crimes against foreigners have been reported," said DCP (Crimes and Administration) A R Premkumar. The country's first tourism police station to deal the tourism-related issues is set up in Fort Kochi. The Police Museum close to the Tourism police station has become a popular destination for those visiting Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. The museum showcases the history of Kerala police - pre and post-independence.
As monitoring and dealing with every tourist arriving at Mattancherry and Fort Kochi is not an easy task, the police formed WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages to deal with the matter. The social media platforms have helped the police reach out to tourists who have been harassed by anti-social elements or cheated by traders, said officers.