Deployment of UK officers at Olympics an ‘honour and a privilege’, says NPCC
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says the international deployment of UK officers to the Paris Olympics was an “honour and a privilege”.
A total of 249 officers from across the country were deployed to France to help bolster the Paris 2024 security operation.
During the eight-week period, officers from 39 forces were sent to locations across France to assist with a range of roles, including athlete support and searches of iconic sites such as the Olympic Village.
The deployment is not the first time UK officers have been sent overseas to assist with major security and sporting events, but it was the first time Special Constables were used in this way, the NPCC said.
The support offered included:
- 186 general patrol officers, which included 54 Special Constables;
- 49 specialist search dogs and their handlers; and
- 14 bilingual athlete liaison officers.
The UK’s package of support was led by the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) and was supported by the Home Office, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence, Counter Terrorism Policing UK and a range of other partners.
More than 540,000 tickets for the Paris 2024 Games were sold to fans in the UK.
The NPCC said all UK officers were now back on home soil after helping to police a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Paying tribute to the success of the wider security operation, and the professionalism of officers, NPCC lead for sporting and planned events, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “What an honour and a privilege it has been to take part in such an iconic sporting event.
“Paris 2024 has been a real success not just for all the athletes who made up Team GB and ParalympicsGB, but also for our officers and volunteers who helped make the event safe and special for so many visitors.
“Policing large-scale security operations like this is not easy, especially when you are doing so in another country, adopting to new culture and customs, but our officers have done us proud.
“They have learned a great deal, not just from their French colleagues but from officers deployed from countries like Norway, the United Arab Emirates and even further afield.
“The skills and experience officers and Specials have brought back with them cannot be underestimated. Imparting their own knowledge and tactics and working alongside international colleagues on this type of event will have boosted their confidence as well as sharpened their skills and our communities will see an obvious benefit from this.
“The UK has a proud history of deploying mutual aid to events like this and long may that continue.”
British Ambassador to France Dame Menna Rawlings added: “The Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics were fantastic and I’m proud that UK officers played a part in keeping them secure.
“Not only did this help British fans enjoy the games safely, but it has also built strong links between our police forces and between individual officers from both sides of the Channel – a fitting outcome, as this year’s Games coincided with the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between our two countries.”