ICSS Confident in Paris Security Despite Police Protests

(ATR) The International Centre for Sport Security tells Around the Rings that France’s track record proves it can host major events such as the Olympics without a security incident.

"The recent hosting of UEFA EURO 2016 and the annual Tour de France are just two examples of this, as well as many other large-scale public events and concerts that have been successfully hosted in the country," an ICSS spokesperson tells ATR in an exclusive statement.

With the country’s capital bidding to host the 2024 Olympics, alarms have been raised regarding racial tensions between French police and minority communities. A police officer shot and killed a Chinese man on March 27 sparking riots from the community and a stern response from Chinese authorities.

The fatal shooting follows an alleged rape of a black man by police officers with a baton on Feb. 2 in another suburb of Paris. These incidents have led to aggressive protests where several have been detained for throwing projectiles and lighting police cars on fire.

The civil unrest and distrust of police by migrant communities has not deterred the faith of the ICSS that Paris will be able to ensure safety at sporting events.

"The ICSS has full confidence in the French authorities to host a safe and secure Games, should it win the right to host the event in 2024."

While the ICSS expresses confidence in the country’s security operations, ICSS director of security operations Andrew Cooke notes that a working relationship must be established between authorities and citizens.

"More broadly and based on my experiences working in the security industry, it is important that the police and the community work together in a manner that will allow open communication so that any public order issue is minimized," Cooke tells ATR.

The French capital is competing with Los Angeles to stage the Summer Games. The two cities are the only remaining candidates in the final months of the bid race that has seen three other cities fall by the wayside.

In the documentation provided by Paris 2024 to the International Olympic Committee in stage one of the candidature process, the bid assessed the security risks posed to the Games.

Paris 2024 acknowledged the civil and foreign threats that it has faced in the past decade, giving itself a medium risk assessment of its civil disobedience and crime levels and a high risk mark for terrorism. The bid book states the city has a plan in place to reduce the terrorism risk to a medium level in time for the 2024 Games.

"Terrorist threats have been a serious concern for all nations hosting Olympic Games for more than 30 years," the bid book reads. "The threat posed by terrorist groups is assessed as a serious risk across Europe and touches virtually all parts of the globe.

"France is a safe and peaceful nation, but it has endured several terrorist attacks and therefore remains vigilant to thwart further conspiracies."

The Los Angeles 2024 bid book touts its "robust risk mitigation strategy" and safety and security forces numbering 68,500 but its security risk assessment is provided in a separate document.

The Chertoff Group’s security analysis of the Los Angeles bid does not assign a risk level to each of the threats the bid faces but posits that "the current risk mitigation strategies and the numerous organizations supporting them within the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, the State of California and the wider United States are well informed and well prepared to ensure a safe and enjoyable 2024 Games."

The IOC will choose between Paris and Los Angeles at its IOC Session in Lima, Peru this September. After a city is chosen to host the 2024 Games, the IOC may consider awarding the second place finisher the right to host the 2028 Olympics.

An IOC working group is determining the plausibility of this but each bid has stated publicly that 2028 is not an option.

Written by Kevin Nutley

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