The Louvre Museum in France, renowned for its cultural treasures, was rocked by a shocking robbery of $102 million worth of jewelry on October 19th. In response to the incident, the museum has announced significant enhancements to its security measures, with an aim to prevent future crimes and safeguard its priceless artifacts.
Louvre Museum Director Laurence Des Cars revealed during a hearing at the National Assembly’s cultural affairs committee on Wednesday that the recent theft exposed vulnerabilities in the museum’s security system. As part of the emergency upgrades, the Louvre plans to install approximately 100 additional external surveillance cameras by the end of 2026 and initiate the installation of an anti-intrusion system within two weeks.
Des Cars emphasized that the new surveillance cameras will ensure comprehensive protection of the museum’s surroundings, while the anti-intrusion system will deter unauthorized individuals from approaching the building. These measures are part of over twenty urgent actions being implemented, including the establishment of a new position called “security coordinator” this month, with recruitment already underway internally.
After experiencing shock, uncertainty, and evaluation, Des Cars stressed that now is the time to take proactive measures in response to the robbery incident. In addition to short-term initiatives, the Louvre Museum plans to enhance collaboration with the Paris police by setting up an “advanced police station” within the museum grounds and installing anti-vehicle ramming barriers on public roads surrounding the museum by the end of this year.
Long-term security enhancement initiatives have been incorporated into the Louvre’s newly launched “Louvre New Renaissance” ten-year plan, with a total budget of up to €800 million (approximately $9.33 billion). The objectives of this plan include modernizing infrastructure, tackling overcrowding issues, and establishing a dedicated exhibition hall for the iconic painting “Mona Lisa” by 2031.
Des Cars pointed out that the museum’s Glass Pyramid, completed in 1989, was originally designed to accommodate four million visitors annually. However, this year, the number of visitors has exceeded eight million, leading to a strain on the equipment that has been operating at maximum capacity for over 40 years, rendering the technology outdated.
Due to the aging infrastructure and equipment, the Louvre Museum announced on Monday that some staff offices and a public exhibition hall were temporarily closed due to structural vulnerabilities. The thieves, four in total, used a freight elevator during daylight hours on October 19th to gain unauthorized access to the Apollo Gallery, where they used a concrete-cutting disc to break into display cases and steal jewelry worth approximately €88 million.
Des Cars revealed that when the display cases were replaced in 2019, they were not designed to withstand this kind of attack, as the previous design primarily focused on thwarting armed attacks from within the museum. Despite this, surveillance footage showed that the display cases remained “extremely sturdy, without shattering,” which delayed the thieves significantly.
As of now, the four suspects involved in the robbery have been charged, but the stolen jewelry has yet to be recovered. Authorities acknowledged the lack of surveillance cameras monitoring the museum’s exterior walls and the balcony involved in the theft.
This globally shocking theft not only exposed vulnerabilities in one of the world’s most famous museums’ security systems but also prompted the French government and the Louvre to accelerate comprehensive modernization efforts to address increasingly severe security challenges and the growing pressure from the surge in visitors.