In addition to foreign soldiers planned to reinforce the French military mobilizable, France has called on around fifty countries for members of local law enforcement to support French police officers and gendarmes.
The security challenge posed by the Olympics will also be an opportunity to strengthen international cooperation. In addition to the announcement of the arrival of foreign soldiers on Thursday, March 28, France made a request in January for around 2,185 foreign police officers and gendarmes from 46 countries to work with French forces during the Paris Games.
The request primarily targeted European Union countries, but also extended to countries like South Korea, South Africa, India, and Australia. Nearly 800 officers have already been designated by their authorities to come to France.
These law enforcement officers, police officers, and gendarmes will act as “last-mile patrollers,” as described by a police source to BFMTV, meaning they will be local officers patrolling with French law enforcement, easily recognizable and approachable by tourists from their country on the streets.
They will be deployed during events based on predictions of the nationalities of spectators. For example, during basketball games with many American spectators, ideally, there will be English-speaking forces on the field at that time, as explained by the police source.
Among the foreign reinforcements, specialists are also expected to complement French staffing: over 500 explosive detection dog teams for train stations, airports, hotels, or fan zones.
There will also be mounted units for equestrian patrols, again wearing their country’s uniform. Additionally, there will be police officers or gendarmes skilled in anti-drone operations or mine clearance, ideally speaking their country’s language, English, and possibly French.
This initiative is not unprecedented: during the Rugby World Cup at the end of last year, nearly 160 European security forces members came to supplement the French security setup.
