RCMP will provide intelligence help, police to help secure Paris Olympics this summer

The RCMP will be part of an international policing effort to keep the Olympics in Paris safe this summer.

In January France’s Interior Ministry asked for help from 46 different countries, including a request for more than 2,000 additional police officers.

A spokeswoman for the RCMP says they will contribute to security and policing operations, but would not provide any specifics including how many Mounties will be sent.

The spokeswoman says the RCMP will also play an “active role in intelligence sharing.”

Security is a major challenge for Olympics organizers, particularly in Paris, which has been hit by terrorist attacks in the past.

France increased its security alert warning to its highest level last month after a deadly attack at a Russian concert hall for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2024.