Along with more than 100 athletes from Team Ireland and the thousands of Irish fans cheering them on, a group of gardaí will also be landing in Paris for the Olympic Games this week.
Some 42 gardaí will be tasked with helping out the French police over the coming weeks in what is an unprecedented security operation that has brought central parts of Paris to near total lockdown, in the run up to the opening ceremony this Friday.
Garda Inspector Neil Casley, who works in the international liaison section co-ordinating the effort, said gardaí would be on patrols in Paris and helping out in busy spots such as metro stations.
The idea, which worked well during other events such as the Rugby World Cup in France last year, is in part to provide assistance to English speaking nationals attending the Olympic Games. Gardaí would be a “friendly face” on hand to provide help to Irish fans or tourists, as well as others who speak English, Insp Casley said.
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Irish spectators heading to the Olympics might see Garda uniforms out on patrol across the city, or posted to train and metro stations. Gardaí travelling to Paris would also be “contributing to the overall level of security” in the city, by assisting the French police in “assuring public safety” during the major event, he said.
“Where there are victims of crime, we can be proactive in following up,” he said. However, any investigations would be a matter for French authorities. Under the rules underpinning the joint operation, gardaí would be empowered to intervene or act in situations where they are directed to by their French partners while out on patrol.
Insp Casley said his advice for fans and spectators in Paris for Olympics is to plan ahead when travelling to venues or stadiums, leaving plenty of time for delays due to security checks heading into the area.
The Garda ran a competition to select volunteers to travel to France for the sporting event, where having competency in the French language was an “advantage” in being picked, he said. Insp Casley said there was a range from some gardaí who had a “smattering of French” to others who were very confident speaking the language.
In total, 56 gardaí are due to travel to France, with some arriving later to help police the Paralympic Games in late August and September.
The decision to have athletes travel down the Seine river on hundreds of floats during the Olympics opening ceremony has necessitated a huge security operation around central Paris.
Many areas along the banks of the river running through the city have been closed off by police, with a pass system restricting access for ordinary tourists or Parisians who do not live or work in the areas.
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