Inside the Larvotto beach safety operation this summer
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The Maritime and Airport Police unit explains how it manages daily security for hundreds of swimmers at Monaco's Larvotto beach each summer.
Each day this August, hundreds of swimmers and sunbathers fill the Larvotto beach, and keeping them safe falls to Monaco's Maritime and Airport Police. Commandant Fabien Vachetta, who heads the unit, has outlined the layered operation his officers run from dawn to dusk across the water and the shoreline.
The approach combines sea patrols, aerial monitoring and close coordination with lifeguards stationed along the Larvotto's concessions and public stretches. Vachetta describes the goal plainly: to allow people to come and enjoy the beach with complete peace of mind. Officers manage everything from enforcing the designated swimming zones to responding to medical incidents and controlling the proximity of pleasure craft to bathers.
For residents and visitors using the Larvotto this summer, the presence is deliberate and visible. The unit scales its deployment according to footfall, with peak weekend afternoons drawing the largest concentration of personnel both on the water and on shore.