Usually, major sporting events occur without incident—and that’s no accident. Security for these events tends to involve long-range planning by a wide array of agencies working together to provide the safest possible environment for players, coaches, fans, and others who are at (or near) the big game.
It certainly helps that the majority of cities that host these events have some practice securing games throughout the course of a regular season. However, nothing can quite match the intensity and security needs of a championship game, so even those cities that are used to dealing with large sporting events face significant and different challenges with safety and security for these national or international events. The main reason for these additional challenges is that these high-profile events present prime targets for those with less-than-honorable intentions, but they also bring with them a high potential for smaller-scale incidents such as fights, people entering the field of play, theft, and more. This makes the job of securing big-time sporting events difficult, to say the least.
For regular season games or annual events, law enforcement is almost always involved in safety and security planning year-round, to the point where it almost becomes routine. Situations become anything but routine when things change, whether it be the size and scope of an event or a new event altogether. For example, sometimes there are two large sporting events scheduled in the same city on the same day. While this may be good for fans and spectators, it can be incredibly challenging for law enforcement, who must deal with a temporary event and environment on top of the crowds and security needs of a regular game. For example, if one of the two events is a marathon, then the increased traffic in and around the city must be diverted away from the marathon course, and a large number of people should be stationed along the course or moving from one event to the other.
These types of situations involve necessary deployments to secure an event that doesn’t happen all the time or may take place across an expanded area. At some events, public areas are converted to fan experience areas, introducing a need for security technology in a place where it hasn’t been needed for regular season games. And while the technology itself is impressive, it has to be deployed in a way that provides law enforcement with eyes and ears on the scene to provide situational awareness above and beyond what is required for other games or events.
Because of these factors, planning for prominent special events must begin well in advance of the date, and law enforcement must play a crucial role very early on in the process. A chief consideration is the use of technology to augment human resources to make law enforcement more efficient and effective in dealing with potential problems.
Interconnectivity
At the core of securing high-profile sporting events are data, which come from many sources including surveillance cameras, video analytics technologies, 911 call centers, officers on patrol, tips from the general public, and more. In the most ideal situations and highly integrated systems, all of these data from multiple streams are aggregated into real-time information about what’s happening in the sporting arena and surrounding areas.
However, capturing, analyzing, and sharing these data to develop actionable intelligence can be problematic in today’s technological environment, as multiple parties are often using a variety of systems that might not be compatible with one another.
There has been a lot of discussion lately about the notion of smart or safe cities of the future and what exactly that means. Some movement has been made on this front, but there is still much work to be done to ensure seamless interconnectivity, communication, and data sharing among systems and technologies. For example, in the near future, there will be high-tech solutions like advanced video surveillance with video from multiple sources—venues, traffic cameras, and more—that will be fed directly into first responder vehicles and a fully integrated security operations center to provide situational awareness.
Smart city technology is in many ways accelerating at a rapid pace, but, to some extent, it’s also still in its infancy. The vision of the future where law enforcement has eyes on everything requires all of these devices to communicate with each other, which is often not the case today. Large security operations centers must also all be integrated and interconnected.
While many cities and venues are making great strides with regard to advanced integrated technology, it is still possible to find some CRT or analog monitors being used in the security operations center of a sporting venue. This is hardly cutting-edge technology, but unfortunately, it’s still out there in the field. This situation is similar to the one in casinos 15 to 20 years ago, where it was common for security staff to be responsible for changing video tapes in old CCTV systems. That market has come a long way since then, so there is definitely hope that smart city technology will follow suit.
New technologies are being added all the time, which can further complicate things. Securing these events by having eyes on everything means monitoring not only the ground in and around the event venue, but also the air above the event and surrounding areas. Every new technology and device used to secure an event adds to the growing list of devices deployed to secure the event, which must be able to communicate with each other and with security operations centers.
Communication
The main challenges for law enforcement during large events are communicating and sharing information with stadium security and other stakeholders in a seamless way. There are usually many entities involved in high-profile sporting events, including local and federal agencies. All of these organizations must be able to communicate throughout the venue, the city, and even the state. However, that can be a challenge given the multitude of varying technologies these groups use.
Making this happen depends largely upon the municipality and the venue’s capability. For example, a city might have wide-scale video systems in place that are monitored in partnership by both public and private entities. In these locations, private businesses could easily share and provide law enforcement with access to video. In other cities, businesses may be able to install surveillance cameras and have them monitored by the city or law enforcement. Both public-private partnership models can help deter crime.
Obviously, the more law enforcement has the ability to access those systems, the better off the security situation will be, particularly with regard to large events. When law enforcement is able to tie systems in together and make sure officers can communicate with each other, this leads to faster response times, improved communication, and better overall safety and security. Therefore, forging public-private technology partnerships for sharing video and other information is an excellent way to improve security for these events.
That said, a wide range of mismatched systems is deployed in cities. What’s in use for a sporting venue may be very different from what a hospital, school, or municipal building might have in place. This will be a big challenge moving forward, but it is likely that more cities will start working to deploy similar technologies across these various entities to improve information sharing, communication, and situational awareness. Just think how much easier it would be for law enforcement if locations across the entire city all used similar systems that could integrate and share information with each other. Many security technology companies are now offering solutions toward making that future a reality today.
The problem with aligning all these technologies is that there aren’t single stakeholders in cities. There are a lot of different entities that must work together. As such, cost becomes a factor, as do installed legacy systems, as well as the argument that one size can’t possibly fit all. Those elements must be addressed by technology providers in order to bridge those gaps and make cities and public venues safer.
In the meantime, the real challenge is going to be getting everyone on the same page. Technology can be wonderful and can help accomplish even the most difficult goals, but it does have limitations, and it’s true that not all technology will work in all places. Nonetheless, there have been numerous examples of various entities and agencies working together to successfully secure high-profile events. It can be difficult when threats are evolving and each entity uses different communication technologies, but it’s possible. Mobile technology has in many ways alleviated some of these concerns, but there is still much work to be done.
Video Surveillance
A primary technology that is used to deliver security for high-profile events is video surveillance. In some cases, hundreds of video cameras are positioned around multiple public venues throughout the city to monitor crowds, as well as in restricted and other sensitive areas. This video is typically fed into a security operations center, most likely situated in an undisclosed location somewhat near to the event venue, and ideally, law enforcement officers would be in that center as part of the monitoring team.
To some extent, law enforcement might look to video surveillance cameras and systems as a deterrent for many potential incidents. After all, if people know they’re being monitored or recorded by a camera, they tend to moderate their behavior and refrain from doing the things they shouldn’t. Just the presence of a camera can have that effect sometimes, and with audio capability, cameras are now able to use horns, sirens, and even live or recorded voices to prod people to leave areas where they shouldn’t be or stop doing things they shouldn’t be doing.
Despite the possible deterrence factor, the main goal of video systems is to provide situational awareness. As seen in Philadelphia following the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl victory, the large crowds of people who gathered in the streets were likely unaware that there were cameras positioned throughout the city. In situations like this, it becomes more about response times and situational awareness.
A smart camera or sensor deployed in a particular location can provide early warning that something may be about to happen in that area. It can also provide the situational awareness needed for law enforcement to respond quickly and appropriately. When a notification is received, officers can be dispatched to get to the location before an incident occurs or, at minimum, get there early enough to prevent it from becoming a major issue. With any crowd control situation, it’s best for everyone if a potentially dangerous situation can be diffused or contained before it gets completely out of control and requires a larger police presence to even attempt to contain any damage.
After an incident, video can provide excellent forensic information that allows law enforcement to go back and identify people or situations that could be educational. You could look at traffic patterns, for instance, to see where there might be bottlenecks before or after a game, then deploy officers to help mitigate those situations. By tying into traffic systems, this information and awareness can be provided in real time to address challenges as they are occurring rather than waiting to evaluate video to be better prepared for the next time—which, in the case of a major championship game, might not ever occur again, as many of them occur in a different city each time (e.g., Super Bowl, World Cup, World Series).
Identifying and Securing the Perimeter
One of the most challenging tasks for law enforcement may be to examine, identify, and secure what becomes an ever-expanding perimeter for large-scale events.
The first and most important question is: what, exactly is the perimeter? In many cases, this is not so cut-and-dry, particularly if a venue is nestled within a residential neighborhood. Consider a stadium in the middle of a city that is surrounded by residences, shops, restaurants, and other public and private buildings. The challenge of expanding the perimeter around the stadium lies in the impact it has on the larger community. Those who live and work in the surrounding environs are likely used to the increased security that each game day brings. However, heightening security for a high-profile game or other event might involve restricting traffic within a larger radius, which could create an inconvenience or burden for these individuals. Collaboration with venue security and communication with the public are key to achieving this goal. Smart traffic technology with capabilities such as incident detection could alert law enforcement to further investigate a particular area of interest or to work with transportation teams to more quickly respond and clear the way faster to avoid increasing congestion and related incidents.
Surveillance cameras are now equipped with technologies that allow them to be those eyes and ears for law enforcement in ways that just a few short years ago were only concepts.
Cooperation and Partnerships
In the absence of smart city–type technology, the biggest factor for securing events is cooperation. The first step in developing any security plan is to follow along the line of public-private partnerships and interagency communication to talk with each other about the biggest threats for a particular event or situation.
For starters, where is the venue located, in the middle of a city or somewhere more isolated? Each type of location presents its own risks and challenges. When in doubt, call in someone who has the qualifications and experience to analyze the situation and suggest solutions. Groups like the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) can provide information or education and refer stakeholders to individuals who can help law enforcement and other involved parities determine what technologies they have to work with at present, compared to what they could acquire to improve situational awareness through communication and mitigate some of these potential threats. These would be aligned with what a city’s vision is for law enforcement, including what steps could be taken in public-private partnership to work together in the budget process and in the technology installation.
Historically, law enforcement has tended to have more influence in the area surrounding a venue or event than within the facility itself. However, there has been a trend lately of working more closely with security teams when it comes to communication systems for inside the venue because if something happens at an event, there’s always law enforcement on site to handle situations.
When it comes to actually planning out and selecting the technologies to be deployed, another positive trend is more cooperation because city-wide systems are coming into play. So while law enforcement 10 to 15 years ago had very little to do with security technologies deployed inside a facility, today there’s more cooperation between public and private entities with the common goal of securing sporting facilities and other public venues. Having the technology for law enforcement to support big public venue events is challenging, but, in many ways, public and private entities are now working collectively to get the most out of the resources they each have available.
Beyond Physical Security
It’s no longer simply a matter of physical security for these events. There’s also a logical component, with social media playing a big part in that arena. Those with experience securing high-profile events are using technology to mine information that’s publicly available on social media for troublesome keywords and any indications of potential threats.
This information mining is becoming an important step in event safety and security. Information found on social media, online forums, and other websites can provide excellent insight into potential behavior and intentions of event attendees, particularly for high-profile events. Computer analytics solutions have evolved to a point where these technologies are readily available and relatively easy to deploy, so they should be deployed in conjunction with video cameras, access control, and other physical security solutions.
It’s no secret that threats exist on a daily basis, which are simply magnified around high-profile sporting and other events, putting enormous pressure on law enforcement and private security teams. The main keys to securing these events are conducting risk assessments, identifying potential threats, mitigating those threats, and generating actionable situational intelligence for faster response.
The day is coming when smart city technology will be more reality than concept, but for the majority of situations, that day is still off in the future. In the meantime, by deploying the right mix of advanced technology and best practices for cooperation and public-private partnerships between various stakeholders, law enforcement can help ensure that the trend of safety and security at high-profile sporting events will continue well into the future.
