Leveraging modern solutions to secure major sporting events

As surveillance technology has evolved over the past decade, new and exciting tools have emerged to help security teams keep their facilities safe. Large venues, in particular, have seen their security options expand as modern analytics make it possible to keep a closer, more watchful eye over a greater amount of space. This has changed the way security teams secure venues like stadiums and arenas—which is fortunate, as the way those venues host events has evolved as well.

Not so long ago, attending a football or baseball game was simple: show up around gametime, buy a hot dog, and find your seat. But today’s stadiums are entertainment venues in their own right. Fans now arrive hours before the game to grill burgers in the parking lot, patronize the bars and restaurants in and around the stadium, and engage in other leisure activities. Tailgating, partying, and even musical events have become an expected part of attendance, expanding the territory that security teams need to monitor and keep safe. Fortunately, modern surveillance cameras, analytics and other solutions are up to the challenge, helping to create a safe environment so fans (and their families) can attend games without worry.

Situational awareness through a modern lens
The average stadium might have hundreds of surveillance cameras in use, many of which are situated around ingress and egress points. Modern analytics can detect things like crowd size and advise the operations team to respond accordingly. For example, if there are thousands of people crowded around one gate and only 50 people at another, an alert can be sent to security personnel advising them to redeploy to the needed area. By deploying personnel more effectively, venues can reduce the total number of security team members needed to keep the area safe while also making quicker, in-the-moment deployment decisions.

This technology can also be used to keep the venue secure long before game time. Today, many venues establish a perimeter hours before the game, monitoring what comes in and out of the area. Restaurants, bars and stadium vendors need to plan ahead, because, after a certain point, delivery trucks will no longer be able to access the area. Attendees will still be able to drive to the game, of course, but only to designated parking or pickup/drop-off locations. Unidentified vehicles, or vehicles present outside of these designated areas, will set off alarms and prompt a swift response. It’s also worth noting that this technology can be used to identify choke points, high-traffic areas and other trouble spots to help the venue discover opportunities to improve the safe flow of people and vehicles throughout the property.

In-stadium security
Security is a real concern for today’s fans. Most fans now say that they take the time to research the type of security at a venue before attending a game, and 77 percent believe that security measures should be visible at events rather than hidden. Fans want to know they are safe. They want to know that someone is watching over them. Today, visible security measures aren’t just there to improve safety and operations—they actively improve the fan experience. After all, if fans aren’t comfortable, they won’t come to games in the first place. They need to consider the experience safe to put themselves in a stadium seat.

Although they are less visible than the cameras themselves, modern analytics tools play a critical role in today’s stadium security. License plate recognition is used to recognize approved vehicles, including players, owners, approved vendors and others, while keeping unauthorized vehicles out. Tools like synopsis video can be used to contextually search for specific individuals or incidents without the need to scrub through hours of video. This can help locate a suspicious person, or, more often, a missing child. Other tools, like aggressive behavior detection or gunshot recognition, can be used to decrease response times in an emergency (or nip a potential emergency in the bud). Best of all, because camera quality has never been better, cameras mounted high atop a stadium can surveil the entirety of the bowl, quickly detecting any pushing or shoving and alerting security quickly.

Law enforcement integration
Today’s stadium security is often closely integrated with both city security and local law enforcement agencies. Some stadiums, like Wrigley Field in Chicago, have very little buffer between the stadium and active city streets. Integration is essential so that stadium security and city personnel can both have an accurate view of what is happening at any given time. If an incident occurs, law enforcement can quickly and easily tap into certain camera feeds in and around the stadium and respond appropriately.

This is especially true around bigger games—especially championship games, which often include events that take place over multiple days and across multiple venues. Law enforcement groups work together to secure these games, including state, local and federal agencies. The FBI, for example, might have more resources at their disposal, or a specific list of suspicious persons to monitor for. The ability to provide those agencies with high-quality camera feeds armed with advanced analytics can significantly improve their ability to keep a major event safe.

Embracing technology
Surveillance technology is advancing at a rapid pace—and it’s being used to keep people safe no matter where they go. Sporting events are notoriously difficult to secure, with tens of thousands of attendees, multiple entry and exit points, and areas to monitor that go far beyond the stadiums themselves. But today’s cameras and their advanced analytics capabilities have given security teams a major leg up, improving their overall situational awareness before, during, and after games. As the needs of sports venues have evolved, security technology has evolved as well, putting much-needed resources in the hands of security teams and allowing them to keep their stadiums more secure than ever.

Mark McCormack is the senior national sales manager of global and national accounts for Axis Communications, where he oversees the Axis team that manages corporation relationships with global and national systems integrators. Prior to Axis, McCormack worked for a number of manufacturers in the security industry, including Samsung Techwin, Keith Parker and Associates, Global Surveillance Associates, International Electronic Protection, and Wells Fargo Alarm Service. He has designed and sold numerous hotel and resort casino security and surveillance projects throughout North America.