The director of the Louvre Museum, Laurence des Cars, on Wednesday admitted that the museum’s security cameras were “insufficient,” just three days after thieves made off with crown jewels worth over $100 million in a daring daytime heist.Addressing Senators, des Cars acknowledged that while all alarms had functioned during the burglary, the cameras did not cover the point of entry used by the thieves. “The only camera installed is directed westward and therefore did not cover the balcony involved in the break-in. There are some perimeter cameras, but they are ageing. Surveillance of the museum’s outside walls is highly insufficient,” she said AFP reported.Des Cars’ statement came as senators grilled her over how the thieves managed to steal eight pieces, including an emerald-and-diamond necklace gifted by Napoleon I to Empress Marie-Louise, and a diamond-studded diadem that once belonged to Empress Eugenie. The robbery lasted just seven minutes, leaving the museum and authorities under intense scrutiny.“Despite our efforts, despite our hard work on a daily basis, we failed,” des Cars admitted in her first public statement since the heist. She also revealed that she had offered her resignation on Sunday, but the French culture ministry refused it.
President Emmanuel Macron ordered a speeding up of security measures at the Louvre following the incident, as the museum reopened to visitors on Wednesday. However, the Apollo Gallery, the scene of the theft, remained closed.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the investigation was ongoing, with more than 100 investigators mobilized to track down the perpetrators.“I have full confidence, that’s for sure, that we will find the perpetrators,” he said. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau described the financial loss as “extraordinary” but said the greater damage was to France’s historical heritage.The heist has raised broader concerns over security at French museums. Union representative Christian Galani highlighted that the Louvre has fewer guards due to cuts over the past 15 years, even as visitor numbers surged. “You can walk through several areas without seeing a single guard,” he said. An art specialist also revealed that visitors could previously approach artworks without triggering alarms, showing gaps in museum oversight.The Louvre is not alone. In recent months, French museums have seen several thefts, including gold and silver coins stolen from a museum in eastern France and gold nuggets worth $1.5 million taken from Paris’ Natural History Museum. Theft of high-value items from the Louvre, however, remains rare, with the last famous robbery occurring in 1911, when the Mona Lisa was stolen and later recovered.Laurence des Cars, appointed in 2021 as the first female director in the Louvre’s 228-year history, succeeded Jean-Luc Martinez. She is credited with making the museum more accessible and promoting social issues through art, but the recent heist has put Louvre security back in the spotlight.The incident underscores the need for enhanced surveillance and tighter measures at cultural institutions worldwide, even those as renowned as the Louvre.
