Louvre thieves evaded police with 30 seconds to spare, investigation finds

"The investigation, ordered by the culture ministry after the embarrassing daylight heist, revealed that only one of two security cameras was working near the site where the intruders broke in on the morning of Sunday 19 October. Agents in the security control room did not have enough screens to follow the images in real-time, while a lack of coordination meant police were initially sent to the wrong place once the alarm was raised, the report unveiled at the French senate's culture commission stated."

"One of the most startling revelations was that the thieves had left only 30 seconds before police and private security guards arrived on the scene. Give or take 30 seconds, the Securitas [private security] guards or the police officers in a car could have prevented the thieves from escaping, the head of the investigation, Noel Corbin, told senators. He said that measures such as a modern CCTV system, more resistant glass in the door cut open with angle grinders, or better internal coordination"

"Major security vulnerabilities were highlighted in several studies seen by management of the Louvre over the last decade, including a 2019 audit by experts at the jewellery company Van Cleef & Arpels. Their findings stressed that the riverside balcony targeted by the thieves was a weak point and could be easily reached with an extendable ladder exactly what transpired in the heist. Corbin confirmed that the Louvre boss Laurence des Cars had not been aware of the audit, which was"

Only one of two security cameras near the Louvre break-in was working, and the security control room lacked enough screens to monitor images in real time. A lack of coordination sent police to the wrong location after the alarm. Thieves departed roughly 30 seconds before police and private guards arrived, allowing their escape. Measures such as a modern CCTV system, more resistant glass in the door, or better internal coordination could have prevented loss of jewels estimated at $102m. Multiple audits over the past decade flagged vulnerabilities, including a 2019 Van Cleef & Arpels audit warning the riverside balcony was reachable by an extendable ladder, and Laurence des Cars had not been aware of that audit.

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