During the recent World Cup events, Vancouver police conducted their largest operation yet, taking to the skies to ground 40 drones.
From June 11 to July 13, police drone pilots completed over 800 flights, the majority patrolling the Last Mile leading to BC Place. They also noticed and halted 745 unauthorized drone flights on the seven match days in Vancouver.
The authorities identified and instructed 45 drone operators to land their devices, while an additional 40 were remotely disabled and brought down by law enforcement.
Approximately 1,300 officers, including support from RCMP, Metro Vancouver Transit Police, Delta, Calgary, and Edmonton police services, were present for each of the seven matches. Deputy Chief Const. Don Chapman commended the overwhelming positive behavior of the 500,000 visitors, with only three Criminal Code arrests made at the fan festival.
Across all FIFA venues, 16 foreign nationals were apprehended for disturbances or public intoxication, with 36 criminal code arrests in the Granville entertainment district. Supt. Jeff Neuman described the situation there as “largely peaceful.”
Overall, the World Cup events in Vancouver were successfully policed, with minimal disruptions and a focus on ensuring public safety and orderliness.
Keyphrase: Vancouver World Cup policing