Deep Ellum to upgrade safety infrastructure ahead of World Cup

DALLAS - You might see more officers and security upgrades around Deep Ellum this summer as FIFA World Cup fever gets ready to hit North Texas.

Deep Ellum Community Safety Plan 2.0

What we know:

The Deep Ellum Foundation and Dallas city leaders announced the Deep Ellum Community Safety Plan 2.0 on Tuesday. The safety initiative is set to build on the original plans strategy from 2022.

According to the Deep Ellum Foundation, a rise in incidents in 2025 prompted them to reassess their original safety initiatives.

Highlights of the revised plan include a second shift of eight more Deep Ellum Task Force officers to ensure daily coverage in the district when other officers are assigned separate duties or are on leave.

A new Deep Ellum Community Engagers pilot program will have trained outreach staff deployed to engage with youth directly instead of relying on law enforcement responses.

Another improvement will be the creation of revised permits for late-night establishments that would require venues to meet "consistent safety standards."

The Eyes on Ellum camera network will continue to expand as well, with over 120 cameras located throughout the neighborhood.

World Cup fever

Why you should care:

According to the Deep Ellum Foundation, these security upgrades are centered around keeping people safe as Dallas prepares for an influx of visitors during the FIFA World Cup this summer. 

The North Texas area will host nine games, and Deep Ellum will be a popular entertainment spot for fans to watch matches.

FIFA World Cup Fan Fest in Fair Park

In addition to watching the games in Deep Ellum, nearby Fair Park will host a World Cup Fan Fest for the duration of the tournament.

FIFA Fan Festival Dallas is a free event that will be held for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Premium tickets will also be available for purchase.

The festival will have giant screens to broadcast FIFA World Cup games. There will be curated food and beverage options, as well as a play area for children. Concerts are scheduled to happen throughout the duration of the event.

One million fans are expected to take part in the festival, according to the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee.

What they're saying:

Jon Hetzel is the managing partner of Madison Partners, a company that owns several businesses in Deep Ellum. He talked to FOX 4's Alex Boyer about the upgrades the city is making to the entertainment district.

"I think Deep Ellum is one of the most authentic neighborhoods in the city," Hetzel said. "We really want to make sure that both our international guests feel safe when they come down here to this neighborhood and enjoy themselves."

"It's a combination of making sure, checking with tenants, helping them think through how they are set up to have events," Hetzel continued. "Working towards rolling out a neighborhood-wide ID scanner program, which will help with customer relations management for good customers but also allow businesses to flag problematic customers that are causing fights so that venues in the district will know about that as well."

Stephanie Keller Hudiburg, the Executive Director of the Deep Ellum Foundation, explained why the upgrades are so important.

"Simple things like police officers on foot patrol. Foot patrol is really great. It allows you to see things in a different way than you would if you're in a vehicle," Hudiburg told Boyer. "It allows you to engage with businesses or maybe with people who might say, "Hey, that doesn't look right."

"Our businesses are going to be ready for you to come and enjoy food from around the world, have a drink while you watch the game. It's going to be a fantastic time."