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SEATTLE – With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon and an estimated 750,000 soccer fans expected to descend on Seattle, the police department is investing in new crowd control methods to manage the influx.
SPD has already spent $120,000 on hiring an international expert to prepare officers.
Between 2022 and 2023, SPD spent a total of $120,000 to bring in a consultant from the United Kingdom to train officers in crowd management, particularly for high-profile events like the World Cup. According to SPD’s Brian Maxey, the goal is to prepare officers for the unique challenges soccer fans bring.
"The World Cup certainly presents new dynamics that we have not dealt with, especially not on the scale that FIFA brings to the city with six home games here," Maxey said.
City contracts reveal that $50,000 was spent in 2022, followed by $70,000 in 2023 for two rounds of two-day courses. The majority of the payment, roughly $48,000 in 2023, was allocated to travel costs, raising questions from accountability advocates.
The expenses didn’t sit well with some local advocates. Nickeia Hunter, of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, expressed frustration over the costs, particularly the high travel expenses.
"It must be nice, and I would love to know: is that coach or first class with all the amenities?" said Hunter.
Hunter, shocked by the price tag, argued that the city could have saved money by hiring local experts.
Her concerns come at a time when Seattle faces a $250 million budget deficit. Hunter questioned the city's spending priorities, saying, "We’re still shoveling boatloads of money."
Despite the criticism, SPD stands by its decision, stating that the international consultant was necessary to teach techniques not widely practiced in Seattle. Maxey emphasized that no excessive luxuries were involved in the travel.
"We don’t fly people first class. We hire people to provide a service that is under contract," Maxey explained.
Maxey highlighted two primary goals of the training: first, to introduce "dialogue policing," a method where officers engage with event organizers ahead of large gatherings to establish rules. Second, to prepare officers for handling the unique challenges posed by passionate soccer crowds.
"We don’t have so much experience here within the City of Seattle," Maxey said. "The contract is not so large in the overall context of police training. Police training continues to get more and more expensive and complicated as additional demands are placed upon police departments."
SPD plans to continue investing in similar training ahead of the World Cup in 2026.
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