France Seeks International Police Support for Paris Olympics Security
Efforts Underway to Ensure Safety Amidst Anticipated Crowd of Millions
In order to assist safeguard the Paris Olympics this summer—which are taking place in the French capital for the first time in a century—France said that it has contacted 46 nations to see if they would be ready to provide more than 2,000 police personnel. The organizers are also on an increased watch for any assaults.
The request for international security help, which sought around 2,185 reinforcements, was filed in January, the interior ministry stated on Friday.
According to the ministry, the police are needed to "strengthen international cooperation," assist with security during the Games, and improve "the spectator experience."
The ministry said, "This is a classic approach of host countries for the organization of major international events."
It was said that, in addition to sending 200 of its gendarmes to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, France also invited 160 officers from other European security services to its hosted Rugby World Cup last year.
In addition, Col Pierre Gaudillière, a spokesperson for the army general command, said that the French defense ministry has requested "small numbers" of military troops from other countries to assist with "very specific" activities during the Games. One such mission is sniffer dog teams.
The minister of defense for Poland said that his nation would be sending athletes to the Paris Games.
Dog handlers will be part of the Polish armed forces delegation, whose primary objective is to carry out tasks linked to explosives detection and counterterrorism. Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the minister, posted on X.
The largest concern for the Paris Games organizers is security in a city that has had several fatal assaults by Islamic extremists and is anticipating up to 15 million people for the Games and Paralympics, which take place from July 26 to August 11.
There are a lot of people viewing the opening ceremony from the embankments, and there will be boats along the Seine River, so security is a major worry.
