POLICE ADVICE FOR WARSAW VISITORS - Informator dla turystów - Komenda Stołeczna Policji

POLICE ADVICE FOR WARSAW VISITORS

This guideline was written to ensure the safety of foreign guests while staying in the metropolitan area of Warsaw.

I. PERSONAL SAFETY

In the event of an emergency you should call the free emergency number 112, which is operated in both Polish and English.

Moreover, in Poland the following emergency telephone numbers are also available:

Connections with these numbers are free of charge from both private telephones and public payphones. After dialling an emergency number, wait for a connection. Re-dialling the chosen number prolongs the wait. After your 112 number connects the operator will forward your call to the relevant service depending on the type of incident your call involves.

AN EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NOTICE should be short, clear and concise. It must contain information about:

• The place of incident (e.g. characteristic point in the case of impossibility to read the name of the street),
• The kind of incident (e.g. assault, battery, theft, collision and road accident),

          Dictionary:
                               - theft,
                               - murder,
                               - rape,
                               - scuffle/battery,
                               - collision/road accident,
                               - burglary,
                               - stolen vehicle(car theft),
                               - fraud,

• The name of the person reporting the crime or incident (first name, surname, contact telephone)

II. ROAD SAFETY

Traffic in Poland drives on the right-hand side.  A vehicle moving along city streets must have its headlights on regardless of the time of day or year.

Driver and passengers (also on the back seat) must fasten their seat belts.

While driving a car you may use your mobile phone only with a hands-free car kit. The holding of a phone while driving is forbidden.  Throughout all of Poland the obligatory car equipment is: a fire-extinguisher and warning triangle. The lack of these objects is punishable by fine.

Children shorter than 150 cm must travel in special car seats.

In Poland the driving of a car after the consumption of alcohol or another similarly acting substance is forbidden.  The legally permitted amount of alcohol in a driver’s blood cannot exceed 0,2 promille (0.2‰ blood/alcohol level).  Police devices measure the result of alcohol contents in exhaled air in mg/l which means that legally permitted alcohol contents shown by the device cannot exceed 0,1 mg/l about 0,2 promille.

A foreign and international driving licence is valid in Poland for six months after the initial border-crossing.  After that period you must pass the state exam (the exam is conducted in Polish).

ADMISSIBLE MAXIMUM SPEED:

III. CAR PARKING AND STOPPING

In Warsaw cars may be parked on marked parking areas such as car parks in residential districts and municipal guarded and unguarded car parks.

Moreover in Warsaw there are non-attended payable areas for parking on work days from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 18:00.  Parking fees can be paid in parking-meters or with season cards (tickets) from the Warsaw Transport Authority or by sending an SMS (short message) from a mobile phone. The parking receipt should be placed in a visible manner behind the front windscreen.

WARNING: Parking wardens are not allowed to collect parking fees!

The stopping of cars is possible in restricted places according to information placed on road signs.  Stopping in areas for disabled persons or marked by an “envelope” sign and close to gates to properties and garages is forbidden.

IV. POLICE UNIFORM AND POLICE ID CARD EXAMPLE

A Police officer on duty wears these uniforms.

Police cars (patrol cars) are silver-blue or navy-blue and marked with “POLICJA” sign.

Every police officer has a Police ID card.

V. POLICE OFFICER POWERS:

Police officers have the right to e.g.:

• Check documents to verify personal identity,
• Detain people who cause an obvious immediate danger to human life, health and property,
• Perform superficial frisk and luggage checking in the case of justified suspicion of a committed prohibited act.

VI. POLICE ADVICE

Protect your property:

• Do not put your wallet with money and documents in external pockets on your clothing, otherwise you may became a pickpocket victim,
• Protect your mobile phone against the possibility of being pulled from your hand; Do not leave your luggage unattended,
• Do not leave documents, laptops, GPS navigation, mobile phones in your car,
• Remember to close and lock your car.

WARNING: Notify the Police in the event of the loss of your possessions as a result of theft or breaking and entering!

Take care of your safety:

• Do not socialize with unknown persons (do not make chance acquaintances),
• Use only licensed taxi vehicles,
• In the evenings and at nights avoid dark places, side roads, parks, squares,
• Change money only in banks and exchange office.

WARNING:  if you became an assault and robbery or battery victim in Warsaw use the emergency number 112 or personally report the crime or incident to District Police Headquarters, located at 21 Wilcza street.

A written crime report is received by a police officer or prosecutor.

VII. REMEMBER

1. In Warsaw the drinking of alcohol in public places ( parks, squares, streets ) is prohibited apart from summer gardens situated close to bars, cafés, restaurants.
2. The transport of drugs and psychoactive substances into and out of the country is forbidden.
3. The possession of a firearm without permission required by law is prohibited.
4. The distribution and viewing of child pornography is forbidden.