North Kansas City bans camping on public land ahead of KC’s first World Cup match
The North Kansas City Council approved a temporary camping ban Tuesday evening to prevent people from staying on public property throughout the city during the FIFA World Cup this month.
The ban stems from concerns that World Cup visitors could resort to camping in public spaces, — like alleys, sidewalks and parks — if hotels are booked up or prices are too high during their stay in Kansas City for the worldwide event.
While it’s unclear whether camping will be an issue in North Kansas City during the World Cup, it wouldn’t be the first time fans set up camp to watch matches. Over 10 years ago, fans from Argentina set up clusters of tents to camp for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Argentina’s base camp is in Kansas City this year, and fans have already begun arriving for the first KC match later this month.
This ordinance could help prevent a potential camping problem from starting or spreading over the next seven weeks and ensure the city is prepared for any situation, according to Mayor Jesse Smith.
“This is something that we believe the police department needs as a part of their tool kit to address this issue before it becomes more widespread,” he said.
Under the ordinance, people will not be allowed to camp or sleep in public spaces, including sidewalks, streets, alleys, lanes, levees, parks, benches or under any bridge or viaduct, until after the completion of the World Cup on July 21, when council members plan to discuss implementing a long-term camping ban.
Those caught camping during this period will be given an at least 24-hour notice to vacate the property before a campsite will be removed by North Kansas City Police. Items collected during a clean-up will be held for 30 days before being released with proof of ownership, according to the measure.
Kansas City will host World Cup games starting June 16 through July 11 at Arrowhead Stadium.
The council first attempted to bring a camping ban forward in 2024, but the proposal at the time failed to pass, Smith said.
In the 18 months since, Chief of Police Kevin Freeman said the department has responded to around 625 calls for service — 134 of which occurred this calendar year — in regards to people camping or sleeping in public around the city.
The council plans to discuss the possibility of a permanent no-camping ordinance at its meeting July 21, which could focus less on short-term visitors and more on people experiencing homelessness.
Camping on public land has long been a topic of discussion in the Kansas City area and across Missouri.
In 2023, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down a 2022 law that banned people from sleeping or camping on state-owned land due to the nature of the bill it was attached to.
And, last year, Wyandotte County approved an ordinance banning people, including those who are experiencing homelessness, from camping on public and private properties throughout the county, an offense that could result in jail time because of the measure.
In North Kansas City, Freeman said the police department receives the most calls for service for trespassing, but the city currently lacks the ability to enforce no-camping restrictions on city-owned property.
“That’s really where the gap is here in North Kansas City,” he said. “It’s a problem. It’s something that we spend an inordinate amount of time on. We could be doing other things, honestly, if we had strong rules in place, and we communicated those rules and we enforced those rules.”
