UMVA has learned that a massive security breach occurred during the first weekend of the World Cup in Toronto, as over a hundred private security guards failed to show up for work, leaving police to scramble and cover the shortage at significant overtime costs.
The sudden no-show of guards from the city's contractor, Star Security, forced Toronto Police to step in and fill the gap, with the city subsequently hiring additional security companies to mitigate the shortage. This chaotic situation unfolded during a high-profile game featuring Canada on June 12.
Sources close to the matter had previously expressed concerns about Star Security's ability to fulfill its obligations, citing low pay for guards, with hourly compensation as low as $18. An insider involved in FIFA planning candidly remarked, "The city went with the lowest bidder and got what they paid for."
The City of Toronto and Toronto Police officials attempted to downplay potential cost overruns due to officer overtime, but UMVA has gathered that city officials allegedly asked that police overtime costs be kept out of meeting minutes during a debriefing with Toronto Police.
Despite these assurances, the city's messaging on World Cup spending has shifted, with initial claims of staying within the $380-million budget now being closely scrutinized. Toronto Police stated they adjusted their deployment posture as needed, but emphasized that their overall staffing plan remained unchanged during the opening weekend.
Industry experts have noted that Star Security is an experienced special event provider, but speculated that the company may have overstaffed for the first weekend, with many guards being temporary hires and possibly getting lost or arriving late due to restricted transportation and the high volume of alcohol consumed at the event.
Typically, the security industry sees a 2% to 5% no-show rate for staff at events, making the reported 100-plus absent guards an unusually high number. The incident has raised questions about the city's contracting process and the treatment of security guards as independent contractors.
