The Olympic Village, intended to be a secure sanctuary for the 11,000 athletes competing in Paris, has already experienced a series of thefts, according to French media.
Since the athletes and delegations moved into the village, a 2.5-acre complex straddling the communes of Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen and L’Île-Saint-Denis, at least five complaints for theft have been filed, according to Le Parisien.
On July 28, a rugby player from the Japanese team reported the theft of a wedding ring, a necklace and cash totaling an estimated 3,000 euros. He told police that these items were stolen from his room in the Olympic Village, which had been thoroughly searched in his absence without any signs of forced entry.
Another incident involved the coach of the Australian hockey team, who filed a complaint on July 27 for the theft of his bank card and its subsequent fraudulent use. The theft occurred in his room in the Olympic Village between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Again, no signs of forced entry were observed.
The coach reported suspicious transactions totaling 1,500 Australian dollars to his bank. The French judicial police have taken over the investigation.
The absence of police within the Village complicates security measures. Each delegation is responsible for its own security and must notify organizers in case of an issue, who then alert a nearby police station. That station, set up specifically for the Olympics, is located just 500 feet from the Village entrance and is not intended to house detainees full-time, though it does have a detention cell.
In the event of misdemeanors or more serious crimes, the police outpost intervenes quickly to make initial observations and receive complaints. Broader police investigations are challenging due to the ban on video surveillance in athletes’ living spaces and the reluctance of many residents to provide information.
The robberies at the Village are not the only ones that have occurred during the Olympics. Last week, Javier Mascherano, head coach of the Argentine Olympic soccer team, reported that some of his players were robbed before their debut match on Wednesday.
“Yesterday (Tuesday), thieves entered our training place and we were robbed. Thiago Almada had his belongings, a watch, and jewels stolen,” Mascherano, a former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder, said.
France’s BFMTV reported on Thursday that the victim said the valuables were worth at least $54,250, and a complaint is expected to be filed soon.
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