Vancouver declines to give FIFA president Gianni Infantino a police escort

Ottawa will contribute $146 million toward security costs in Vancouver and Toronto, though how that will be divided remains unclear.

TORONTO (AP) — A request for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to be given a police escort while in Vancouver, British Columbia, for FIFA meetings has been denied, the Vancouver Police Department said Wednesday.

“Formal motorcades where traffic is stopped are reserved for heads of state,” Deputy Chief Don Chapman said in a statement.

“As the FIFA executive do not meet Internationally Protected Person (IPP) standards that would warrant such an escort (closing roads, intersections, not adhering to traffic devices, etc.), the request was declined,” Chapman said.

A FIFA spokesperson said soccer governing body’s “never requested a specific level of police motorcade for the FIFA President” and that the “FIFA President was not aware of, or involved in, any requests with authorities in relation to his transportation and security matters for the 76th FIFA Congress.”

The spokesperson said the request was made by FWC26 Canada, as local organizers, and said that is in line with previous arrangements for such events.

FIFA is holding meetings this week in Vancouver, one of the 16 sites of World Cup matches in a tournament co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

FIFA’s Congress, a meeting of representatives from all its members, is scheduled for Thursday.

A spokesperson for Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the police department confirmed “there will be no motorcade proceeding through traffic signals, and no Emergency Response Team assigned in the manner described.”

“Any transportation arrangements that are made will be appropriate, measured, and consistent with how Vancouver safely hosts major international events,” Sim’s office said in a statement.

Toronto Police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said the force does not have plans to provide escorts for VIPs at the World Cup.

“Any such request would be considered on a case-by-case basis,” Sayer said. “We will be providing escorts for teams and certain officials where there are clear public safety needs, for example, to prevent large crowds from gathering around team vehicles.”

Rob Gillies, The Associated Press