Authorities have announced a series of enhanced security measures in response to the recent robbery at the Louvre in Paris, shedding light on the intricacies of the heist at the world’s most-visited museum. Louvre director Laurence de Caer, speaking to the Parliamentary Culture Committee, shared these details.
De Caer revealed that the thieves used a powerful disc cutter, typically intended for concrete, to break through the display case. Interestingly, this particular case had been upgraded in 2019 to defend against potential attacks, yet the method employed was unexpected. “When you watch the video, it’s evident how challenging the task was for the robbers,” she mentioned, adding that the display case “held up very well and didn’t break.”
On October 19, a group of four individuals executed a brazen theft in the Apollo Gallery, stealing eight pieces of jewelry valued at around 88 million euros, or about $102 million.
The museum plans to install roughly 100,000 cameras by the end of 2026 and an anti-intrusion system is expected to be operational within two weeks. “After the shock and emotions, it’s necessary to take decisive action,” De Caer said, emphasizing the goal of achieving “complete protection of the museum’s surroundings.”
This initiative includes over 20 new emergency measures and the introduction of a specialized “Security Coordinator” role. Despite previous inquiries about how the robbery impacted security protocols, the museum has generally refrained from discussing specific security issues.
De Caer noted that the Louvre’s extensive modernization efforts from the 1980s have now become outdated, with the facilities exceeding performance for a considerable duration. The “Louvre New Renaissance,” launched this year, aims to streamline visitor experience through infrastructure improvements.
