World Cup bigger for Vancouver than 2010 Olympics, says deputy police chief
As Canada welcomes the 2026 FIFA World Cup, CBC News chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault looks at how the Vancouver Police Department prepared for massive, potentially rowdy, soccer crowds during the tournament.
Given the crowds, today is also a very busy day for police and transit operators.
Up to 1,200 police officers are being deployed throughout the city, with help from Metro Vancouver Transit police, RCMP and Calgary and Delta, B.C., police.
Police are preparing for multiple simultaneous crowds, including a sold-out B.C. Place, a near-capacity FanFest, viewing parties around the city and all that foot traffic in the downtown core.
“Looking forward to it, but it’s gonna be a fun time and a challenging time for us here today,” Chapman said, standing near one of the three deployment hubs where officers receive assignments and equipment before being dispatched in waves throughout the day and into the evening.
Chapman described the event as the largest ever held in Vancouver, even surpassing the 2010 Winter Olympics.
While Olympic security operations lasted 17 days, World Cup operations will run for more than 40 days, making it “a marathon rather than a sprint,” he said.
Vancouver transit officials have told people to avoid driving around or near the downtown core and take transit instead if they can.
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