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Dallas is ramping up its efforts to defend against unauthorized drones over official World Cup events this summer.
On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council approved allocating over $10 million in federal grant money toward the purchase of technology designed to counter unmanned drones over North Texas. Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux previously told media that counter-drone operations would play an important role in World Cup security plans.
According to the resolution, the procurement will provide DPD with capabilities for drone detection, tracking and mitigation. The grant funding comes from a $250 million FEMA disbursement for drone security set aside for 11 U.S. states hosting matches this summer. Council members accepted the $10.3 million grant on April 8.
The city has received over $50 million in federal grants to secure venues and pay for police overtime, cameras and ahead of the cup.
DPD will also engage with drones for other security initiatives, according to a briefing memo on final preparations for the World Cup from Tuesday’s meeting of the Public Safety Committee. The department will launch its Drone as First Responder program during the tournament, which will give police “aerial situational awareness for match-day operations and large crowd events,” the memo states.
Nine matches will be played in Arlington this summer, the most of 16 North American cities set to host World Cup action. As announced by the FAA, low-lying commercial airspace over official World Cup events will be turned into “no-fly” zones during the tournament. That includes space over the soon-to-be-renamed Dallas Stadium in Arlington and the fan festival in Fair Park, where officials estimate up to 30,000 people could visit daily.
Drones — and the need to mitigate their reach — have grown increasingly important in the commerce and national security sectors. Amazon drones are making deliveries without delivery drivers, while in December, Brad Garber, an industry CEO and former advisor to the vice chief of Naval Operations, wrote in an Observer op-ed column that the country’s anti-drone infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with the innovation.
“Federal agencies hold most of the resources, but they can’t be everywhere at once,” Garber wrote. “The result is a patchwork of blind spots over the very places we gather most—our stadiums, airports, and downtowns.”
In addition to direct federal funding for local departments’ drone mitigation efforts, the Texas Department of Public Safety has secured over $3 million in grants to protect large crowds, critical infrastructure, and restricted airspace. The systems used by DPS will be both mobile and stationary, according to a DPS release.
The release from the state’s public safety department also states the technology will be able to “safely disrupt or take control of unauthorized drones that may pose a risk to public safety, emergency response efforts or critical infrastructure,” in Dallas and Houston this summer.
