The Kansas City Police Department is creating a “strong security posture” for the FIFA World Cup 26, deploying thousands of law enforcement officers as it prepares for 650,000 international visitors descending during a hot Midwestern summer and imbibing through 23-hour-a-day alcohol sales.
Working for the past year and a half, KCPD is building “scalable plans,” for use on crowd sizes at different games, the cultural considerations brought by international fans, and hosting ticket-holders who will be made up mostly of men ages 18-39, the largest group of FIFA’s fan base.
KCPD officers will be barred from taking vacation time, reserves will be on duty, police and sheriffs’ deputies from Missouri and Kansas are being called up, and the National Guard will be activated for the event, from June 11 to July 19.
Mounted patrols will be brought in from other police agencies, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will provide helicopters, and a new program using drones as first responders will be implemented, KCPD Major Abigail Martinez said.
During a public meeting at the North Kansas City Patrol headquarters Tuesday night, Martinez said the department sees the World Cup tournament as an “unprecedented challenge” on a scale of hosting the Olympic games, and drawing probably the largest crowds the city has ever seen.
The department is building a “strong security posture” for the monthlong event, KCPD Capt. Shawn Campbell said.
“We’re doing a lot of work to make this as safe as possible,” Martinez said. “It is heavy on our hearts to make this as safe as possible.”
Yet police are also promising to keep the usual presence in the city during the games. Martinez said they want to keep the same patrols in place for all the events they normally cover, like Royals baseball games, KC Current soccer games or downtown concerts.
“We want to continue to police our city,” Martinez said. “We are not going to be strapped for resources for what our city needs.”
Martinez has traveled to Europe to visit other cities where FIFA games have been played to get advice, among other law enforcement conferences. And the department has consulted with officials in Atlanta, where the city hosts summer events, as they are considered experts in handling heat emergencies.
Throwing another wrinkle into plans is Gov. Mike Kehoe’s signing into law a temporary extension of liquor sales, so bars and restaurants can serve alcohol from 6 a.m. to 5 a.m. during the month the city hosts the tournament. Open containers will be allowed at the FIFA Fan Festival at the National WW1 Museum grounds, and in the entertainment districts where it is already OK, like at Power & Light and Westport, Martinez said.
Still to be determined is how to grapple with the issue of young fans from Europe who are allowed to drink in public venues at home, some as early as 16 or 18 years old.
“We are used to 21 and over, others (countries) are not,” said Major Michelle Hon, commander of the North Patrol Division. “That’s all stuff we have to navigate.”
Those attending games at Arrowhead Stadium and the fan fest will have to go through security, much like the one implemented at the NFL Draft held here in 2023. That’s a change from some of the city’s larger outdoors events, like the 2024 Super Bowl parade and rally, where one woman was killed and 23 injured, and the city has been sued for what the lawsuit alleges was a lack of proper precautions.
Although police have staffed events at Arrowhead for years, they are changing their plans for the games there, as soccer has a different culture, with fans bringing flags, drums and other things into the stadium, Martinez said. Rivalries between teams are legendary in soccer, and brawls have broken out at some World Cup games in the past, including in 2023 in Rio de Janeiro.
“It’s going to be a whole different look,” Martinez said of security at Arrowhead.
Shuttles will be running to Arrowhead and to practices at Children’s Mercy Park and CPKC Stadium, home of the KC Current, among other venues, Martinez said. The city has leased 200 coach buses to be able to ferry fans to stadiums, the fan fest, and other entertainment and shopping areas, like Zona Rosa in north Kansas City, she said.
Other concerns for the department include the city’s troubled 911 system, which has often been under-staffed and had long wait times, and the lack of a new jail, a long-term issue the city and Jackson County have failed to settle. In May, city council began the process of building a temporary facility, which would be completed before the World Cup.
Plans are also being made to possibly create a temporary designated camping site for those fans who come to town without booking hotels or making other arrangements, Campbell said.
