APD and AFRD Chiefs Discuss Public Safety Info For the FIFA World Cup

Leadership from the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) and the Atlanta Police Department (APD) gathered at Atlanta’s Public Safety Headquarters to address questions and provide important information on the safety of locals and visitors during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the international tournament just 20 days away, APD and AFRD chiefs emphasized that their agencies are well-versed in handling large-scale events and prepared for the influx of people and potential issues that may arise during the eight matches. 

Their number one request was, “If you see something, say something.”

Immigration Enforcement and Support for Spanish-Speaking Locals and Visitors 

APD Chief Darin Schierbaum stated that APD has no role in immigration enforcement. APD’s focus will be to enforce the law and ensure that any resident of Atlanta inside the city limits can access the police department by calling 911, going to a police precinct, or flagging down an officer. 

APD employs 68 officers who are certified Spanish translators. They will deploy those officers and other bilingual officers to strategic locations to ensure that people within the city limits can communicate with officers. The officers also encouraged people to use 311 to utilize the language line and shared that 911 has a service that detects when someone is speaking a different language, so they can get connected to an interpreter. 

“Language should not be a deterrent for people to report crime,” said Miguel Lugo, an APD Hispanic Liaison. “If you’re a victim of a crime, you’ve got rights. We don’t care about your immigration status either. So, if you reach out to one officer who often doesn’t speak Spanish, our chain of command through our process will locate officers who are certified translators and move those officers to those locations where they are needed to assist our citizens and visitors.”

Budget and Mutual Aid

 APD will be fully mobilized for the six-week period of the matches, with all hands on deck and officers and civilian professionals assigned to either the FIFA detail, a duty related to providing safety for the city’s other neighborhoods, or a specialized team. For Atlanta Fire Rescue, their shifts will be the regular 24-hour shifts with specialized shifts for game day and authorized activities inside the city. Projected overtime for APD during that six-week period is approximately $24 million for extra deployment, which will be reimbursed by the federal government back to local jurisdictions.

There are 1,840 sworn APD officers, and 750 of those officers will be deployed to game detail. A total of 250 additional officers from other local, state, and federal agencies will assist APD during the matches, and elevated resources will be deployed throughout the FIFA Fan Festival. Leadership noted that the majority of officers will remain in the city’s other neighborhoods to address any public safety concerns that may arise. 

“We can’t do this alone, so our partnership with our state, local, and federal agencies continues to assist us and make sure we are able to successfully make sure that FIFA and the citizens and guests that come to participate in FIFA are safe, but also our neighborhoods that we provide police services to,” said Deputy Chief Charles Hampton.  

AFRD Chief Roderick Smith assured residents that anywhere from 250 to 300 firefighters will be prepared to respond up to the paramedic level, assisting wherever it’s needed across the city. Both agencies also stated they are ready and prepared to respond to any incidents during the first week in July, when two matches and the Fourth of July parade will take place. 

Plans of Street Closures 

Deputy Chief Hampton said there are currently no plans to close any roads around Mercedes-Benz Stadium or Centennial Olympic Park, where the Fan Fest activation will be taking place. However, if a safety issue arises where there is an influx of pedestrians overflowing from the park into the streets, APD has a plan in place to temporarily shut down the streets around that area to maintain safety and reopen them so people can enjoy and travel freely. 

Thousands of people are expected to attend Fan Fest, and APD tested a flexible citywide mobility plan in March to address pedestrian and traffic concerns. 

Technology and Drones

The Federal Aviation Administration will implement a temporary flight restriction for personal drones during the FIFA World Cup period in Atlanta, meaning the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and surrounding areas are a no-drone zone. Those who ignore the restriction will face a civil penalty of up to $100,000 and/or criminal prosecution. APD will have several drones manned by members of the drone unit.

“We want people to have a good time, but we do not need extra drones in the sky during this period, so we just ask that you adhere to the flight restriction that will be in place,” said Deputy Chief Hampton.

Celebrations and Open Container Policy

AFRD Chief Smith emphasized firework safety and stated that celebratory gunfire is illegal. 

“When we talk about fireworks inside the state of Atlanta, just being very candid, they are illegal. However, we do know that certain cultures in this sport like to use personal pyrotechnics, and so we will be working very closely with them to try to make sure that it is done in a very safe and controlled manner,” said Smith. “I just want you to reiterate that in the event that they are utilized, make sure that you’re on concrete or non-combustible surfaces, make sure that you’re away from buildings and away from flammables, but we encourage you not to do it, because it is dangerous.”

The Atlanta City Council approved an ordinance to allow outdoor open containers in designated zones for the FIFA World Cup, temporarily suspending its open container laws to allow adults over the age of 21 to freely walk on public streets and sidewalks with alcoholic beverages from licensed vendors from June 11 to July 19. The temporary open container district is contained within the South Downtown entertainment district, from Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard to the North, Peachtree Street to the East, I-20 to the South, and Northside Drive to the West. 

“Once you go outside those boundaries, you can expect to see a member of your police department, just to remind you that you need to take it back across the street or pour it out at stations that are readily available,” Hampton said. “We know it will be a good time, but we’re asking for people to be responsible. Do not drink and drive, do not scooter and drive. We ask you to take Marta or call Uber.”

Unhoused Population

A big question locals have had surrounding the FIFA World Cup has been the plan for the unhoused population. It’s a concern that stems from the 1996 Summer Olympics, when ahead of the international multi-sport event, the city of Atlanta displaced its unhoused population and illegally arrested an estimated 9,000 people. 

“For the last 20 years, the Atlanta Police Department has had a special team, the Hope team, whose focus is connecting individuals to services and to avoid the occasion of arrest, and arrest only if necessary. That has always been the department’s approach,” Schierbaum said. “The administration, in its first four years, has had a concerted effort to have a holistic approach that unsafe and illegal encampments are closed. That is ongoing.”

According to APD, the department has cleaned 35 encampments, connected 453 individuals to resources, and made zero arrests during encampment cleanups in 2026. 

Schierbaum shared that when APD has to close an encampment, there is an extended period of time where they engage occupants and encourage them to utilize the resources provided by the city. They also let them know the exact date the encampment will close and inform them that an arrest could occur after that point. He emphasized that for an arrest to take place, there has to be probable cause; APD cannot arrest an individual just for being homeless.

Short-term rentals, parties, and Illegal Parking

APD encouraged residents to report when they see people violating the law regarding illegal parking locations, noise ordinances, and large parties. They encouraged those wishing to host celebrations to apply for the proper permits.

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