The 2026 FIFA World Cup in Vancouver marked the single largest deployment of police in the city’s history, with as many as 1,300 officers deployed on each of the seven BC Place match days.
Vancouver police said the event also coincided with the city’s busiest cruise ship season, with more than 100 ships in port, as well as 118 protests.
From June 11 to July 13, officers responded to a total of 18,489 calls for service (560 per day), including 1,158 Priority 1 calls for service (35 per day), as well as 5,224 calls for service (158 per day) in District 1 (downtown core), including 310 Priority 1 calls for service (nine per day).
When it came to FIFA-specific events (BC Place, Fan Festival, Granville Entertainment District and watch parties), Vancouver police said officers dealt with three Criminal Code arrests at Fan Fest, 36 in the Granville Entertainment District and one at another watch party.
Two people were arrested at BC Place for breaching the peace, six at Fan Fest, 99 in the Granville Entertainment District and two at another watch party.
Two people were arrested at BC Place for being intoxicated in a public place, three at Fan Fest, 42 in the Granville Entertainment District and one at another watch party.
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Police said there was overlap between breaching the peace and being intoxicated in a public place and some files are counted twice, meaning a person may have been arrested for both reasons.
In total, across all FIFA venues between June 11 and July 13, 16 foreign nationals were arrested in connection with breaching the peace and being intoxicated in a public place.
The majority of the events and watch parties were peaceful, police added.
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“Public safety is always our top priority,” Deputy Chief Const. Don Chapman, who led FIFA security planning and co-ordination, said in a statement on Monday. “We planned and trained for this tournament for years and that planning paid off with a truly world-class event, while maintaining business continuity and our core policing duties across the city.”
Vancouver police officers also escorted 16 fan marches and provided 312 vehicle escorts for international heads of state and for team buses to and from games and practices.
VPD drone pilots flew a total of 811 flights between June 11 and July 13, including 597 over the Last Mile, BC Place, Granville Street, Jack Poole Plaza and Jonathan Rogers Park. Skydio drones were dispatched 214 times as part of the Stadium Quick Response Team.
Of the roughly 500,000 people in attendance at the Fan Festival from June 11 to July 14, Canada vs. Qatar on June 18 saw the highest turnout with 40,943 attendees, followed by Canada vs. Switzerland on June 24 with 40,550 people, according to the Vancouver police.
“When you consider the Fan Festival alone saw roughly 500,000 visits with just three criminal code arrests, that speaks to positive fan behaviour and how effective our deployments were,” noted Chapman.
“The logistics were complex, but the mission was simple — to ensure residents, business owners and visitors to the city could have a safe, secure, inviting and enjoyable experience during FIFA while maintaining our core policing for the citizens of Vancouver. I’m proud the Department has achieved that goal.”
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