A total of 433 foreign police officers from nine countries will be helping their Croatian colleagues in Split-Dalmatia County as part of the Safe Tourist Destination project, launched in 2008.

Their role will be to help in communication between Croatian police and foreign nationals to ensure a more pleasant stay for foreign visitors and foster a sense of safety among them, Split-Dalmatia County police chief Slobodan Marendić told a press conference on Monday.

The foreign police officers will be on duty in the towns of Split, Trogir, Omis, Makarska, and at the airport and maritime police stations. They will also be deployed to other areas, including islands, if necessary.

The foreign police officers participating in the Safe Tourist Destination projects come from Italy, France, South Korea, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Czech Republic. In mid-July, they will be joined for the first time by a police officer from the United States.

Foreign police officers usually assist if foreign visitors report a loss of personal documents, are involved in minor traffic accidents or become the victims of minor criminal offences.

Patrik Vuckovic is the first police officer from Bavaria to participate in the project. He was born in Germany, but his parents are originally from northwestern Croatia.

“I hope that German tourists will recognise the uniform and that, when they see it, we will have a nice chat and they will feel safe in Split. I have been here privately several times, but this is my first time here in an official capacity,” Vuckovic said.