PARIS-
For a police officer from West Vancouver, patrolling the Seine on foot in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is not exactly an everyday occurrence.
But Cpl. Jean-Luc Derouin is now supporting his colleagues in Paris at the Olympic Games and helping to strengthen cooperation between nations.
“If you have people from all over the world, why not police officers from all over the world?” he told a CTV News team that accompanied him on Monday as he worked with Paris police.
“We can translate, help people and spread a positive vibe. It was fantastic.”
France has asked partners around the world for assistance in gathering intelligence, but has also asked 44 countries for reinforcements. These countries have answered the call and provided 1,800 officers to be deployed on the ground.
Sixteen of these officers are from Canada, including twelve from Quebec and a canine unit from Ottawa that is involved in searching venues.
“We meet officials here from Spain, from the United States, from so many countries,” said Derouin. “We shake hands and have a short, two-minute dialogue. We love that and the public loves that.”
Derouin applied for the assignment and said it was a no-brainer. His parents are both from France and he felt it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to serve 5,000 miles from his homeland.
Derouin also has Olympic experience. He was part of the security force during the torch relay through British Columbia and parts of Alberta in the run-up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He also says he had the honour of running with the torch. Today he jokingly describes himself as a two-time Olympian.
Large crowds are always a potential target, and tensions caused by war, terrorism and political division threaten to spill over into the Games.
On Monday morning, French authorities announced that vandals had attacked telecommunications lines, disrupting some mobile phone services, just after Friday's arson attack on signal cables that brought high-speed trains to a halt just hours before the Games' opening ceremony.
“Of course, we are on high alert, as is normal during the Games,” said Etienne Thobois, organizer of Paris 2024.
Working side by side on the streets of Paris has added value, say French and foreign police officials. Officers share expertise, exchange police techniques and build international relationships. Derouin spent some time Monday working as a translator between members of the U.S. SWAT team and French police officers.
The foreign delegation is also very popular with many tourists and locals. As the officers patrolled the streets of Paris and met with other officers from around the world, several passersby stopped to shake their hands and take photos.
“The French police were delighted with this experience because normally when they go on patrol, nobody asks if they can take a photo of them,” said Derouin. “But now it's non-stop. The officers have all been great at working with us too.”
He says French officers have countless questions about policing in Canada, and he and his Canadian colleagues ask about the challenges of working in France.
According to officials, the aim of this operation is to increase security but also to live up to the Olympic spirit of cooperation between countries at all levels.
“I think this will be the highlight of my 26-year career,” said Derouin. “It's just amazing to be here with the Eiffel Tower behind me.”