Dallas PD’s World Cup playbook: Plan in pencil, not pen

About this episode

This episode discusses how the Dallas Police Department is preparing for the public safety challenges of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring enormous public safety demands to cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico — including places that are not hosting matches. For Dallas, the challenge is especially complex: While games will be played in nearby Arlington, the city will serve as home to FIFA’s International Broadcast Centre and host major fan events expected to draw international crowds. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, guest host Rob Lawrence talks with Lt. Mark Rickerman of the Dallas Police Department about how the agency is preparing for the 2026 World Cup and what other departments can learn from the process. Rickerman discusses the challenges of coordinating across law enforcement, fire, transit, private security, event organizers, local government and federal partners, as well as the importance of building plans that can change quickly once the event begins. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Panasonic. Built to withstand the harshest environments, TOUGHBOOK rugged police laptops and tablets are the ultimate police technology equipment. From police car laptops and police car computers to versatile police…

People in this episode

Host: Rob Lawrence

Guest: Lt. Mark Rickerman

Topics covered

• public safety
• event planning
• law enforcement coordination
• FIFA World Cup
• Dallas PD
• emergency management

Keywords

• Dallas PD
• World Cup
• public safety
• law enforcement
• event planning
• FIFA
• emergency management

Sponsors

Panasonic

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dallas Police Department

Places: Dallas, Arlington, United States, Canada, Mexico

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