Through observations, winks and anecdotes, the Carnets de Paris immerse you in the heart of the Olympic Games.
While athletes from all over the world have gathered in Paris for the Olympic Games, on the streets of the capital it is police officers of all nationalities that one is more likely to encounter. And they are causing a stir.
On the subway this morning heading to the Champs-Élysées, a French police officer practices his German with his foreign colleague. On Place de la Concorde, it is Sûreté du Québec patrol officer Francis Moreau who exchanges badges from their different police forces with his Parisian colleague. “We arrived here on July 17 to lend a hand to the Paris police headquarters,” explains the officer who normally patrols Rouyn-Noranda.
For the duration of the Games, he will be walking around the 8e arrondissement. Where we find some of the Parisian icons like the Arc de Triomphe and the Grand Palais. There are worse.
There are 10 police officers from the Sûreté du Québec representing different administrative regions of the province. Francis Moreau is the proud representative of Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec. The SQ delegation is joined by two other Quebec police officers and four from the rest of Canada.
The international reinforcements come from about forty countries. There are about 1,800 foreign police officers contributing to the security of the Olympic Games along with the 45,000 members of the French police force. “We don’t have the power to intervene or make arrests. We’re just another pair of hands and eyes on the ground,” explains the Quebec police officer.
On the Champs-Élysées today, Francis Moreau’s team welcomes five new police officers who have arrived from Los Angeles. Just a few minutes after they start their patrol, American tourists proudly displaying their colors on their Team USA caps ask them for a “selfie.” They happily accept. They are proud, but above all delighted to be here. For his part, Francis Moreau has met two Quebecers since his arrival. “I think it also helps the tourists feel safe to see us.”
Beyond the number of police officers present on the ground, which can sometimes be impressive, we especially notice the great courtesy of the police. Did they pass on the memo? “I think the police officers are just happy to be here. It’s a unique event. It’s an event that brings people together, the whole planet watches the Olympic Games and we have the chance to participate in our own way.”
Friday’s opening ceremony was the moment when everything could have changed in Paris, and apart from the “sabotage” or “massive attack” on the TGV network, everything went well. “People were skeptical, but now we are confident that the rest of the Games will go smoothly,” says French police officer Romain Arzel. For him, the Olympics are a time to get out of his usual routine, but above all to exchange with his peers from all over the planet. “It’s great!”
This report was funded with support from the Transat-Le Devoir International Journalism Fund.