This year, Santa Clara police pulled off a first, running public safety for the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup — without significant incident or shorting residents of the service they expect. 

In February, Levi’s Stadium served as the site of Super Bowl LX. Then, between June 13 and July 1, it hosted six World Cup matches, including Team USA’s Round of 32 victory. No stadium has held both events in the same calendar year. The Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) served as lead agency and incident command for both operations, drawing on more than two years of parallel planning.

Lt. Eric Lagergren, SCPD’s public information officer, wrote in an email that the department coordinated with more than 50 local, regional, state, federal and partner organizations. This command structure included 31 planning subcommittees responsible for, among other things, intelligence, transportation, traffic management, public order, emergency response, credentialing, communications and dignitary protection.

Outside the stadium, normal policing continued, Lagergren wrote. On top of World Cup duties, officers responded to roughly 2,300 service calls and logged nearly 700 self-initiated actions during the tournament — including narcotics offenses, firearm possession, domestic violence calls, structure fires, fatal collisions and mental health crises. 

During a 2023 soccer match, a fan smuggled a knife into the stadium and critically stabbed another spectator in the throat. 

Department policy, Lagergren wrote, is to keep specific security measures and tactics confidential, so he would not comment on how, or if, that situation changed SCPD’s approach to the World Cup. However, he noted that every major event contributes to how police refine their methods. 

Large-scale events like the Super Bowl and World Cup required a “layered approach,” he wrote.

“While venue security personnel are responsible for patron screening and entry point security, the Santa Clara Police Department works closely with venue security, FIFA, and our public safety partners to develop the overall public safety plan and coordinate law enforcement resources before, during, and after each event,” Lagergren wrote.

Highly visible global events also often attract political demonstrations, such as when a fan dashed on the field with a pink-smoke flare during a 2022 NFL game. 

The tournament was no different, seeing its share of demonstrations. Planning emphasized de-escalation, communication, and balancing constitutional rights with public safety responsibilities,” Lagergren wrote.

Another major concern for large-scale events is human trafficking. 

The Bay Area Human Trafficking Task Force arrested 25 alleged sex traffickers, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. The task force rescued 53 trafficked people, including 11 children. It also arrested 25 johns.

Although not as high stakes as human trafficking, car break-ins — specifically near the first-mile/last-mile of transit — are the most common security issue, typically accounting for more than 40% of incidents, according to Base Operations, a threat-level analysis company.

Data on such incidents is not yet available, but Lagergren wrote that they “did not emerge as a significant operational issue.”

Soccer’s international popularity drew spectators from across the globe. Working with partner organizations like FIFA and Valley Transit Authority (VTA), SCPD employed translation devices capable of translating 90 languages in order to ease communication. 

Although Super Bowl LX went smoothly, there is always room to improve, Lagergren wrote. 

“Super Bowl LX provided an opportunity to validate many of the command structures, staffing models, communications procedures, and interagency relationships that were then adapted for the World Cup,” he wrote. “The value was not in applying the same plan twice, but in carrying forward proven systems and experienced personnel while tailoring operations to the unique demands of each event.”

Curbing illegal drone activity was also on police radar. SCPD officers underwent federal training on counter-unmanned aircraft systems. The department secured a $6.5 million federal grant that, although secured too late to be useful for the World Cup, will assist with future major events.

During the tournament, the FBI cited 22 drone operators and seized 18 drones in support of security operations, according to an FBI press release.

Successful execution of both events is a feather in SCPD’s cap, showcasing that the department can handle security on the biggest stage.

“Hosting one of the world’s largest sporting events without compromising everyday public safety required the efforts of the entire department and the strong partnerships built with agencies throughout the region and beyond,” Lagergren wrote. “That collective effort, and the successful completion of both missions, is what the department is most proud of.”

Total public safety cost for the marquee events is still being finalized.

Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com