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

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Riot police officers patrol as people queue to enter Le Louvre museum Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS – Paris police acknowledged major gaps in the Louvre’s defenses on Wednesday — turning this month's dazzling daylight theft into a national reckoning over how France protects its treasures.

Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure told Senate lawmakers that aging systems and slow-moving fixes left weak seams in the world’s most-visited museum.

“A technological step has not been taken,” he told lawmakers, noting parts of the video network are even still analog, producing lower-quality images that are slow to share in real time.

A long-promised revamp — a $93 million project requiring roughly 60 ki