With the approach of the Paris Olympics in seven months, the imperative of guaranteeing the safety and security of the event is an enormous and complex task. To mitigate potential manpower shortages, the Ministry of the Interior has devised a plan to deploy its administrative personnel.
Specific administrative staff members of the Ministry of the Interior will undergo a temporary reassignment of roles during the upcoming summer. They will transition to tasks typically managed by security personnel to compensate for the anticipated shortfall in staffing for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Those who volunteer will perform logistical duties such as managing stadium ticket booths, while others will receive training in conducting security checks and searches of spectators, as well as handling the detection of suspicious devices.
Volunteers, whether civil servants or contract workers, will receive a total of five days of specialized training before being assigned to work in public transportation or in close proximity to the competition venues. The Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that the candidates will receive appropriate compensation for this specific assignment.
In appreciation of their commitment, employees will be granted bonuses based on their level of involvement. The exact remuneration is currently undergoing negotiations with the respective unions, and the specific responsibilities of these reinforcements in assisting law enforcement are still being defined by police representatives. As per initial details, each employee will work 12-hour shifts for five consecutive days, followed by a day off.
With several hundred thousand spectators, 10,000 athletes, 200 heads of state, and billions of television viewers, the security challenge presented by the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is exceptionally formidable.
As the countdown to the opening ceremony continues with just seven months to go, the emphasis is on mobilizing all available resources to manage the abundant influx of spectators. Given the anticipated demand, all government services will be on high alert, with particular reliance on law enforcement agencies. The Ministry is considering imposing restrictions on vacation and transfer requests this summer to address the substantial demands: 30,000 police officers and gendarmes will be required every day from July 26 to August 11, and up to 45,000 for the opening ceremony.
