Editor’s Note
This article details a troubling security lapse at the Louvre Museum, where a recent high-profile theft was nearly prevented. An official investigation has uncovered critical failures, raising serious questions about the protection of invaluable cultural heritage.
A damning investigation revealed on Wednesday that the thieves who stole crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in October evaded police by a margin of just 30 seconds due to avoidable security failures at the Parisian museum.
The investigation, ordered by the Ministry of Culture following the embarrassing daylight robbery, revealed that only one of two security cameras was functioning near the site where the intruders broke in on the morning of Sunday, October 19.
According to the report presented to the French Senate’s Culture Commission, security control room agents did not have enough screens to follow images in real time, while a lack of coordination caused police to be initially sent to the wrong location once the alarm was raised.
One of the most alarming revelations was that the thieves left just 30 seconds before police and private security guards arrived at the scene.
He added that measures such as a modern CCTV system, more resistant glass on the door—cut with angle grinders—or better internal coordination could have prevented the loss of the jewels, valued at an estimated $102 million, which have still not been found.
Several studies reviewed by the Louvre’s management over the past decade, including an audit conducted in 2019 by experts from the Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry house, highlighted major security vulnerabilities.
Their conclusions noted that the riverside balcony, targeted by the thieves, was a weak point that could be easily accessed with an extendable ladder—exactly what happened during the heist.
According to the investigation, police believe they have arrested the four intruders, who escaped on powerful motorcycles after perpetrating the robbery in the Apollo Gallery in about 10 minutes total.
Louvre staff declared a strike on Monday to demand that management take action against what they consider understaffing and overcrowding at the museum, which welcomed 8.7 million people last year.