In everyone's mind: not to repeat the "catastrophe" of the London Olympics in 2012, when the British had to deal with the failure of the private security company G4S, three weeks before the opening, and urgently resort to the army...

British army soldiers arrive at the Olympic village on July 10, 2012 in London, after being called in emergency after the failure of the private security company in charge of protection at the Games JAE C. HONG POOL / AFP / Archives

Hence the idea of ​​anticipating as much as possible to find some 22,000 agents to secure the competition sites.

A total of 35,000 would be needed for all Games-related events (July 26-August 11), such as fan zones for example, alongside police and gendarmes (estimated at 30,000), military (10,000) and municipal police officers.

The task is unprecedented.

"We don't have them", explains to AFP Bernard Thibault, ex-secretary general of the CGT, who sits, with an advisory vote, on the Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympics (Cojo).

The Cojo on Monday launched calls for tenders related to private security.

“We made the choice to launch calls for tenders early to offer the sector maximum visibility on our needs, qualitative and quantitative, so that it can position itself on lots”, explained the Cojo to the AFP.

Everyone "phosphorus"

In this sector atomized and corroded by the turnover, "employers are already in the race to recruit", observes Alain Bouteloux, federal secretary prevention security FO.

"I don't have the impression that we will have enough numbers, even if everyone phosphorus in the ban and the backbench of the State", he added.

It must be said that the Covid "has removed at least 20% of the workforce", explains to AFP Mustafa Abba-Sany, president of the Organization of Event Security Professionals.

Of the 300,000 holders of a professional card, around 170,000 are active.

Security guards check and search supporters upon their arrival on May 21, 2016 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, before the final of the Coupe de France between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain FRANCK FIFE AFP / Archives

To try to attract candidates, the State has decided to launch special training for major events, with fewer hours of training (105 instead of 175).

For Bernard Thibault, "this is not the appropriate response" to recruit.

He would prefer the outcome of "branch negotiations" on minimum wages, discussions currently stuck.

This new certificate of professional qualification, whose decree is about to come out, "was unanimously against him" among the unions and employers, explains Alain Bouteloux (FO).

Mustafa Abba-Sany believes for his part that this new training responds to the specific problem of security in events.

The interministerial delegation to the Olympics (Dijop), which has been studying the subject for months, with in particular the national coordination for the security of the Olympics (CNSJ), denies setting up "training at a discount".

"Not hot to go"

Everyone knows that the "challenge is immense", as Dijop says, to secure this event for more than ten million spectators.

The open-air opening ceremony on the Seine also gave the State cold sweats.

The president of Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet, during the presentation of the device for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, on December 13, 2021 in Paris ALAIN JOCARD AFP / Archives

Will French companies be interested in this prestigious Olympic challenge?

“We are doing everything so that French companies can meet the needs”, explains Dijop, excluding for the moment the use of foreign companies.

"I know some who are not keen to go there. They will need the resources, already in the summer there are concerts, campsites...", explains Mr. Abba-Sany.

It will also also be necessary to recruit en masse women, who are the only ones authorized to perform security pat-downs on the female public.

A security officer performs a pat-down on a supporter on July 3, 2016 in the fan zone in Toulouse, before the quarter-final of Euro 2016 between France and Iceland Rémy GABALDA AFP / Archives

Another logistical challenge: "Not everyone will come from Ile-de-France, it will be necessary to find and house agents who will come for three weeks", explains Mr. Bouteloux.

Note that the calls for tenders launched on Monday only authorize one level of subcontracting, said the Cojo.

In addition, "there is something that is not understood by those who have a police and gendarmerie culture and who say: + you can redeploy staff +", while "it does not work like in the public", s worries a good connoisseur of the security sector.

The requirements will be updated at the end of the year.

If necessary, the security protocol signed in early 2021 with the State, and which defines who does what, could be refined, as well as the financial means.

The Cojo's security budget line has already increased from 182 to 295 million euros at the end of 2020.

The logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, during its official presentation, on October 21, 2019 in Paris STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN AFP / Archives

In view of the failure in London, "the hypothesis of a failure" of private security has been "taken into account in the protocol" and it is already planned "the study, if necessary, of additional solutions", assures the Cojo .

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