Louvre employee says video surveillance system password was 'Louvre'
An employee has revealed that the password to the Louvre’s video surveillance system at the time of last month’s $102 million jewel heist was simply “Louvre.” The disclosure has intensified scrutiny of the museum’s security in the aftermath of the high-profile robbery.
During testimony before a French Senate committee, Louvre President Laurence des Cars said that the only camera outside the Apollo Gallery faced west and did not cover the window the thieves used to break in. She noted that while all alarms and cameras were functioning, there was a “weakness” in perimeter security due to underinvestment. Investigators said the entire robbery, from entry to getaway, lasted just seven minutes, with the thieves using a truck-mounted mechanical cherry picker to exit the gallery.
Des Cars defended the gallery’s security system but acknowledged the need to adapt to unforeseen methods of attack, adding that the incident represented a “terrible failure” and highlighting security as a top priority since her 2021 appointment. Authorities have charged four suspects, including a taxi driver, a delivery worker, and two others from northern Paris suburbs, though at least one participant remains at large. DNA evidence linked the suspects to the crime, and some have partially admitted involvement. The Apollo Gallery remains closed as investigators continue searching for the missing jewels and reviewing new evidence seized during searches.
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