Louvre museum managers prioritised buying high-profile art over upgrades to security in the years prior to last month’s heist, a new report has found.

The report, conducted by France’s highest auditor, the Cour des Comptes, came after thieves made off with $102-million ($157 million) worth of crown jewels which exposed deep flaws in the Paris museum’s security. 

The criminals used a truck-mounted basket lift to reach a window of the Apollo Gallery and fled with the trove within minutes.

“The theft of the crown jewels is undoubtedly a deafening alarm bell,” Pierre Moscovici, head of the court of auditors, said at a news conference.

The report finds that the Louvre spent money acquiring high-profile pieces over upgrading its security systems. (AFP: JF Triplelon-Jarry/Only France)

The report was conducted entirely before the heist, focusing on the 2018-2024 period, but was officially released on Thursday, over two weeks after the robbery. 

The report said the museum’s investments prioritised “visible and attractive operations” like buying new pieces of art and improving visitor experience. 

It said that came “at the expense of the maintenance and renovation of buildings and technical installations, particularly safety and security systems”.

Outdated security to blame for heist, auditor says

A plan to modernise security equipment was being studied since 2018 but its implementation kept being delayed, the report said. 

Actual technical work was only to start next year and was planned to be fully implemented by 2032.

How France’s crown jewels became and easy target

As French authorities scour Europe for some of their nation’s most prized possessions, closer inspection of the Louvre museum itself reveals its vulnerabilities. 

“The pace is far too slow,” Mr Moscovici said.

He said the court of auditors believed security could be improved without hiring more staff at the museum.

A previous assessment shows that the October 19 heist was made possible by outdated security systems, not because of lack of staff, he said.

The cost for security modernisation is estimated to 83 million euros ($147 million), out of which only 3 million euros have been invested between 2018 and 2024, according to the report.

The museum said that over the past three years, 134 digital cameras have been installed to supplement or replace outdated cameras throughout the museum, the report noted.

Loading…

Louvre blames COVID-19 and Paris Olympics

The court of auditors, which is an independent body, recommended that the Louvre focuses on priorities including bringing the museum’s technical facilities, particularly safety and security, up to standards, and cut its expenses in other areas. 

That would mean reducing art acquisition and saving on museum rooms’ renovation projects, the report said.

In response to the audit, the Louvre on Thursday said it “regretted” that the report did not take into account the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and the 2024 Paris Olympics, which the museum said impacted certain decisions.

The Louvre said it agrees with most of the court of auditors’ recommendations and already made similar proposals. It noted that the Oct. 19 theft occurred weeks before planned security improvements were to start being implemented.

The decade-long “Louvre New Renaissance” plan, which includes security improvements, was launched earlier this year. It is estimated it would cost up to 800 million euros to modernise infrastructure, ease crowding and give the famed Mona Lisa a dedicated gallery by 2031.

Pierre Moscovici, France’s First President of the French Court of Auditors (Cour des Comptes), says the jewels’s robbery is a “deafening alarm bell” for the museum. (Reuters: Sarah Meyssonnier)

Last week, Culture Minister Rachida Dati said the Louvre will install streetside anti-ramming and anti-intrusion devices in the next two months, following a provisional investigation that found a “chronic, structural underestimation” of the risk of theft at the Paris landmark.

Mr Dati acknowledged “security gaps,” refused the resignation of the museum director and cited four failings: underestimated risk, under-equipped security, ill-suited governance and “obsolete” protocols.

Four suspects in the Louvre heist were arrested last week, including three believed to be members of the team of four that was filmed using a basket lift to reach the museum’s window. 

They face preliminary charges of theft by an organised gang and criminal conspiracy. The jewels have not been recovered, authorities said.

AP