The Washington Post has reported that the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris may face significant security challenges.
The concern stems from a shortage of qualified private security contractors available to assist in safeguarding the event amidst global tensions.
Organizers of Paris 2024 indicated a need for 22,000 private security personnel to manage security at Olympic venues, in addition to the 35,000 police officers and 18,000 French military soldiers assigned to public areas.
Leaders in the private security sector, however, express concerns over the labour shortage potentially hindering their ability to meet this demand.
Pierre Bragu, president of the French Union for Private Security, voiced concerns about having adequate manpower to ensure the Olympics are properly secured.
He mentioned that Olympic organizers had struggled to find firms through four rounds of tendering for contracts, with some security companies hesitant to bid due to fears of being unable to fulfil the contracts.
Despite efforts to train more individuals and certify them, including through a three-week crash course funded by the French unemployment agency and regional administration, Bragu noted that these measures might still be insufficient.
In a break from tradition, the 2024 Olympics in Paris will feature an opening ceremony held outside a stadium for the first time in the history of the Games.
The event is set to take place on the River Seine, where athletes will be transported along a six-kilometre stretch of the river on boats, watched by thousands of spectators along the banks.
French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that, should there be a clear and imminent terrorist threat, adjustments could be made to move the event to the Trocadero facing the Eiffel Tower or to the Stade de France, the national stadium.
The Washington Post also highlighted France’s primary concerns about potential terrorist attacks and other security threats at the Olympics, as well as apprehensions about potential embarrassment similar to the security fiasco during the 2012 London Olympics, where a private security firm’s failure led to the deployment of military forces for bag checks.
