Fort Worth to limit court hearings, boost police staffing for FIFA World Cup
Fort Worth to boost police staffing for FIFA World Cup
Downtown Fort Worth is officially ready for the World Cup with vibrant street art and a massive citywide safety plan to welcome fans from around the globe.
FORT WORTH, Texas - A touch-up for the World Cup glow-up, Downtown Fort Worth is alive with colorful art installations, 3D sidewalk murals, street banners, international flags and more.
Fort Worth Downtown Visual Transformation
Local perspective:
The street view coupled with down-to-the-minute planning happening indoors on Tuesday. At City Hall, an update on the latest safety plan that includes multiple departments, police, fire, EMS, transportation, 911, hospitals and more.
"I think it’s pretty good. I’m seeing all the things going on, I’m excited. It’s the first time I’m in a country where the World Cup is happening, so it’s pretty exciting," said Satavana Viswanadhan, a Fort Worth resident ready for the FIFA World Cup.
Fort Worth police details match day staffing
The plan includes ‘staff surging’ on match days. In addition to overall policing, Fort Worth Police Department will utilize 100 department personnel divided into 8 teams to cover various aspects of safety and security, according to Fort Worth Police Chief, Eddie Garcia.
"The message to our community. We’re going to ensure our community knows we’re doing everything we can, whether FIFA was here or not. While at the same time, making sure that we keep the city of Fort Worth and help our other departments out for the safety of FIFA," said Garcia.
"On match days when we expect more crowds to be in certain areas to watch games, then we will certainly make sure that staffing, from a citywide perspective, is available as well."
What's next:
FOX 4 learned in-person courtroom proceedings in Fort Worth will be limited so that court bailiffs and deputies can turn to FIFA-related safety positions.
"They’ll be used to protect those critical infrastructures, as well as City Hall and some other infrastructure," said Garcia.
Beyond the colorful excitement, logistics and planning, there is a full approach to keep everyone safe.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4's Dionne Anglin.