The UK will send six police officers to Brazil during the 2014 World Cup to offer support and advice to the Brazilian authorities.
The six in Brazil will be led by Chief Superintendent Rachel Barber of South Yorkshire Police, supported by the national police lead on football, Deputy Chief Constable Andy Holt, who will act as ‘Gold’ commander based in the UK.
DCC Andy Holt said: “British police are among the best in the world at policing football matches and it is testament to their work with supporters groups and others involved in the game that serious football violence has declined. At the last World Cup in 2010 there were only seven arrests of England fans, none of them for football-related violence.
“It is also important that fans play their part in keeping themselves and others safe – by avoiding protests or confrontation, keeping personal belongings safe and leaving plenty of time to get to match venues. Very importantly, if you are the subject of a football banning order, you must surrender your passport to your nominated police station by May 31. If you attempt to travel to Brazil, we will be keeping an eye out for you and in the very unlikely event that you are not picked up at a port or airport, our intelligence team in Brazil will spot you and there will be serious legal consequences for you back home.
“In the UK, the policing operation will be friendly yet firm during the World Cup. We want fans to have a good time wherever they gather to watch matches, but we ask those drinking alcohol to do so responsibly and not become an unnecessary drain on police resources. Our best advice to people is: enjoy the tournament and take care for your own safety and that of your friends.”
Police ‘spotters’ will gather intelligence on fans who are misbehaving and other public order considerations during events and matches concerning England fans. Information gathered will be shared with the static team in Brasilia and the UKFPU in London as well as, where appropriate, the Brazilian authorities. Others will be based at the National Coordination Centre, at Federal Police HQ in Brasilia. Fans travelling to Brazil can find regular travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on www.fco.gov.uk.
