How France Plans To Keep Athletes And Spectators Safe During The Olympics
Authorities are ramping up their efforts to prepare for any potential threat.
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Subscribe for free to get more stories like this directly to your inboxThe Paris Summer Olympics are right around the corner, and it takes a lot more than building a few new stadiums to ensure the games go off without a hitch.
Ready for action
Like the athletes traveling to Paris from around the world, law enforcement personnel throughout the region have been training for the Olympics.
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” said Simon Riondet, who heads up an elite team within the Parisian police force. “Be [ready] when we’re going to be needed. And it’s really hard because, contrary to the athletes, we don’t have a date.”
His team recently conducted a series of drills to prepare for a range of potential threats and emergencies.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron is using his status to reassure locals and visitors alike that the city will be safe. He has made several public statements in recent days explaining the precautions that are being taken.
In addition to 35,000 officers on patrol throughout the competition, authorities will be:
- Placing an extra 10,000 officers on duty during Friday’s opening ceremony
- Implementing thorough checkpoints around event venues
- Erecting tall wooden structures to block access to iconic local structures
- Employing 650 tactical officers and 22,000 private security contractors
A global concern
Less than a decade after a terrorist attack on French soil claimed the lives of 130 victims, it’s understandable that authorities would emphasize security. But other nations around the world have similar concerns.
Rob D’Amico, a former FBI agent who helped prepare for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said officers should be ready for anything.
“I talk about this with 9/11,” he said. “We never thought that was going to happen, so when we saw intel about it, it was dismissed.”
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