Remember all the worry about Kansas City not having enough jail space during the World Cup?
Turns out, so far, it hasn’t been needed.
Kansas City is halfway through World Cup festivities with two games at Arrowhead Stadium under its belt, and only a couple of people have ended up in handcuffs.
“Two people thus far have been arrested, each for disorderly conduct,” Kansas City Police Department spokesman Capt. Jake Becchina said.
Deputy Chief Joe Mabin, who oversees KCPD’s Patrol Division, said there have been just a few minor incidents at Fan Fest and Arrowhead.
“Concerns raised about rowdy fans and massive crowds at the base camp locations have not been realized to date,” he told the Police Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
He also said medical calls have been for minor injuries and the heat.
“Overall, medical incidents have been relatively low compared to other summer festivals,” Mabin said.
Preparing for the World Cup
Kansas City last fall approved millions of dollars to build a temporary jail for the World Cup, with city council members anticipating it might be needed as hundreds of thousands of visitors arrived. That facility still isn't open.
The city also boosted its police presence at both Arrowhead and Fan Fest, taking place on the grounds of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, and at team training facilities. All 1,100 KCPD officers are on duty, and the department’s three helicopters are constantly in the air.
In addition, police from 11 states are assisting local police. Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers are at the perimeter and deputies from several sheriff’s offices are also present. Even Missouri Conservation Department agents are assisting.
And mounted officers have returned to Kansas City for the World Cup for the first time since 2019.
The first week, the mounted patrols were from the St. Charles, Missouri, department.
“Last week, we had them from Lake County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Department. They drove 15 hours with their horses to here to help us,” Deputy Chief Doug Niemeir told police commissioners.
World Cup crime
Not that there hasn’t been serious crime around Kansas City during the World Cup. Two cases have garnered national attention.
The most serious is the hunt for 22-year-old Oscar Sanchez Munoz. Police suspect him of shooting five people, killing one, along interstates 70 and 670.
In one incident, an Uber driver was shot while taking fans to Arrowhead Stadium for the first World Cup match between Argentina and Algeria.
The FBI has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested in an interview on Fox News earlier this week that Sanchez Munoz was dead.
KCPD said that is not true and the manhunt continues. In a statement, the FBI referred all questions to local police.
The other national story concerns two Texas truck drivers who were arrested for allegedly stealing $18,000 worth of gear from England’s national team.
Mustafa Salik, 40, and Erfan Kamal, 36, are each charged with one count of receiving stolen property. Both remain in the Jackson County jail on $75,000 bond.
Their lawyers have asked the court to reduce their bonds to $20,000 with a 10% cash option.
Both worked for American Special Forces in Afghanistan and are now American citizens, according to court documents.
