35,000 police officers and gendarmes will secure the Olympic Games for more than two weeks. Reduced to a percentage, the figure is impressive: 15% of the police force from all over France will be mobilized full-time at Paris 2024. The commitment is so exceptional that several institutions, usually protected by a year-round police presence, have learned that they will have to do without their “men in blue” for the duration of the Olympic Games.
All this without counting the question mark of private security, 22,000 security guards called to replace the civil servants, duly recruited by the prefecture of Ile-de-France: professionals in the sector know that the rate of “no shows”, that is to say of rabbits stood up to their employers, is high during such events. In London, in 2012, less than half of the agents showed up. In the event of absence, the police and the army will have to fill the gaps.
What state will these police officers be in? Several senior officers are worried about the political context. 30,000 police officers and gendarmes were mobilized this Sunday, July 7, to prevent violence related to the second round of the legislative elections. This system will be extended until July 16. And what if things get out of hand, between now and the Olympics? Beauvau is feeling dizzy: during the riots linked to the death of young Nahel, in July 2023, 40,000 to 45,000 police officers and gendarmes were mobilized for nearly a week. “We were on the verge of breaking point,” a police official said at the time. This time, the fear is that the police will be well and truly overwhelmed.