On patrol in Paris: Canadian police are on the ground at the Olympic Games

By Genevieve Beauchemin/CTV National News Quebec Bureau Chief

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    Paris (CTV Network) — A foot patrol by the Seine in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is far from the regular beat for a West Vancouver police officer.

But Cpl. Jean-Luc Derouin is now lending a hand to colleagues in Paris for the Olympic Games and helping boost co-operation between nations.

“When you have people from all over the world, why not have police from all over the world?” he told a CTV News crew following him along as he worked with Paris police on Monday.

“We are able to translate, to help out people, to bring a positive vibe. It has been fantastic.”

France has reached out to partners around the world to provide support in intelligence gathering, but also asked 44 countries to send in reinforcements. Those countries answered the call, providing 1,800 officers to take up duties on the ground.

Sixteen of those officers hail from Canada, including 12 from Quebec and a canine unit from Ottawa taking part in sweeping venues.

“We are seeing officers from Spain, from the U.S., from so many countries,” Derouin said. “We shake hands and have a quick two-minute dialogue. We love it, and the public loves it.”

Derouin threw his name in for this assignment, saying it was a no-brainer. Both his parents are from France, and he felt it would be a once in a lifetime experience to serve 8,000 kilometres from his home.

Derouin also has Olympic experience. He was part of the security for the torch relay through British Columbia and parts of Alberta leading up to Vancouver 2010. He also says he had the honour of running with the torch. He now jokingly calls himself a two-time Olympian.

Large crowds are always potential targets, and tension over wars, terrorism and political divisions have threatened to play out at the Games.

On Monday morning, French officials revealed vandals had attacked telecommunications lines, disrupting some mobile services. This comes in the aftermath of the arson attack on signalling cables Friday that stopped high-speed trains in their tracks just hours before the opening ceremony of the Games.

“Obviously we are on the highest level of alert, as is normal during the Games,” Paris 2024 organizer Etienne Thobois said.

There is added value to working side by side on the streets of Paris, officers from both the French police and foreign forces say. The officers are trading expertise, exchanging police techniques and forging international bonds. Derouin spent some time Monday acting as a translator between U.S. SWAT team members and French police officers.

The foreign contingent has also proven popular with many tourists and locals. As officers patrolled through the streets of Paris, meeting up with other officers from around the world, several members of the public came to shake their hands and take pictures.

“The French police have loved the experience because when they walk the beat normally, no one asks can we get your picture,” Derouin said. “But now it is non-stop. The officers have all been great in collaborating with us, as well.”

He says the French officers have countless questions about policing in Canada, and he and his Canadian colleagues ask about the challenges of working in France.

Officials say the goal of this operation is to beef up security, but also to live up to the Olympic spirit of co-operation between countries, at every level.

“This will be (the) highlight of my 26-year career, I think,” Derouin said. “It is just jaw-dropping to be here, with the Eiffel Tower behind me.”

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