Louvre security overhaul won’t be complete until 2030 after crown jewels heist

Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Thomas Adamson at The Associated Press is the basis of this AI-assisted article.

A daring daylight heist at Paris’ Louvre museum that netted eight pieces of French crown jewels worth $102 million has exposed critical security failures, including outdated surveillance systems, expired camera permits and slow emergency response protocols that allowed thieves to strike and escape within minutes.

Some key facts:

• Thieves stole eight pieces of French crown jewels valued at approximately $102 million from the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery on Oct. 19 during museum hours.

• Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure revealed the museum’s security camera authorization expired in July and was never renewed, while parts of the video network still use analog technology.

• The first alert to police came from a cyclist outside who called emergency services after seeing helmeted men with a basket lift, not from the Louvre’s alarm system.

• A planned $93 million security overhaul requiring 37 miles of new cabling will not be completed until 2029-2030.

• Two suspects were arrested over the weekend, including one stopped at Charles-de-Gaulle Airport attempting to leave France.

• The stolen jewels were not privately insured because the French state self-insures national museums due to prohibitively high premiums, meaning no insurance payout will be received.

• Chief Faure rejected calls for a permanent police post inside the museum but urged lawmakers to authorize artificial-intelligence-based anomaly detection and object tracking tools.

• The Louvre had shut down in June due to a staff strike over unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and security concerns that unions warned created vulnerabilities.

READ MORE: Paris police acknowledge major gaps in Louvre’s defenses after jewel theft