Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called for an immediate review of security protocols following numerous security breaches at the Copa America Final at Hard Rock Stadium that resulted in delays, fights with police, and vandalism.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called for an immediate review of security protocols after a series of security breaches took place at the Copa America Final at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night.
Despite doubling the number of law enforcement officers and security staff for the event, groups of fans without tickets attempted to breach entry points, including air ventilation shafts and stadium walls. Officials were forced to close and reopen gates to control the crowd. However, fans engaged in fighting with police, breaking down walls, and vandalizing the property.
The match, scheduled to start at 8 p.m., was postponed due to safety concerns. After 8 p.m., gates were briefly reopened to prevent stampedes and injuries at the perimeter. Once the immediate threat was mitigated, the gates were closed again, alcohol sales were halted, and additional security measures were enforced, amid uncertainty that the match would be able to be played.
In an official statement, Cava, alongside Chief Public Safety Officer James Reyes, called for a full review to establish better protocols and policies.
“Let’s be clear: This situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again,” said Cava. “We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games.”
According to a statement issued by Cava’s office, the Miami-Dade Police Department deployed more than 550 officers, including the Priority Response Team, and brought in additional personnel from other jurisdictions to support the event.
Hard Rock Stadium officials acknowledged the breaches and pledged to work with CONMEBOL — the South American soccer confederation — to address the concerns of ticket holders who were unable to enter the stadium.
“We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight,” the leadership of Hard Rock Stadium said in a statement. “It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior, and we will fully review the processes and protocols in place tonight and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again.”