The truth about security at sporting events
We live in a world where big events attract even bigger crowds, but among the hype lies a huge challenge: Coping with the ever increasing demands on and for security.
Arguably Britain’s most prestigious event, the London 2012 Olympics admits it spent around £9bn* on security and policing alone, and its successor, Rio has already revealed it’s deploying over 85,000** security guards and soldiers in addition to thousands of CCTV and high-security turnstile equipment for the upcoming 2016 games.
It’s no surprise then that security at sporting events is of paramount importance.
The unforgettable tragedies of the Paris attacks last November could have been made even worse had the suicide bomber who’d targeted the Stade De France not been spotted on CCTV after arousing suspicion, then stopped by a security guard and denied entry into the stadium.
It is also common knowledge that CCTV footage has been the biggest source of help for the inquiry into the tragic ‘Hillsborough Disaster’ in 1989.
So, what does this mean?
The truth is, big sporting events are investing huge sums in security to ensure the protection of the people they attract, and ‘preparing for worst-case scenarios must be addressed within a facility’s safety and security operational plan’****.
If you’ve ever gawped at the price of a football ticket, know that a chunk of your fee is paying for your safety.
You might not own a 60,000 seat stadium, or play host to the world’s largest sporting events, however, would it be fair to say your business has a duty to protect those who enter it?
Sources:
**http://english.cntv.cn/2015/08/06/VIDE1438848002104687.shtml
***http://www.securitynewsdesk.com/tackling-stadium-security-and-crowd-management/
****http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/10538073/stadium-arena-security