Answering The Rise In Security Threats With Better Communication And Surveillance
Further, often, any violence and criminal behaviour witnessed and experienced at events, especially football matches, puts a majority of people off attending – especially parents who want to bring children to a match. These types of issues need to be contained, and those responsible banned, as no one wants to see a return of the hooliganism witnessed in the 70s.
What is more, there is a decline in professional security guards too. So Chris Potts, Marketing Director at ANT Telecom explains how the sector can respond to this rise in security threats and resourcing challenge with better communication and surveillance at events, stadiums and venues.
The Decline In Professional Security Guards
In the year ending December 2022, police recorded crime in England and Wales exceeded pre-coronavirus pandemic levels. Alongside this, the number of professional security guards in the UK is on the decline, and it is widely known the sector is having a challenging time recruiting for a shortage of staff. Additionally, people employed within the professional security sector are faced with numerous barriers to entry into the profession. In some cases they have to carry out their own training and apply for their own licenses to work in this space.
For example, in August 2012 there were 88,915 active security guard licences on the market, says research from Gov.uk and the Security Industry Authority. Since then, in recent years, it steadily declined to approximately 62,000 - 71,000. As expected, over the pandemic, 2020 and 2021, this figure was at its lowest – 61,630 and 62,901, respectively, with 2022 sitting at 64,226 licences. While this figure points out the decline in licenses, which staff generally have to attain themselves, it illustrates the decline in the number of people actively working in the industry too. Despite the decrease, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) says the UK’s private security industry must recruit, train and licence over 62,000 officers over the next 12 months – to keep up with the growing demand for its services, and to keep the public safe.
Additionally, many professional security guards receive physical and verbal abuse while carrying out duties. While one might be inclined to think that this is to be expected and acceptable for this kind of job, it raises questions of employers around what they can do to make these kinds of jobs safer and more appealing to current and potential employees. While offering training goes a long way to providing people with the skills they need to carry out their jobs – it doesn’t’ stop there. Firms must consider their approach to communication and surveillance. While this might seem natural to many, a key question is whether the technology that teams are using is fit for today's purpose, across a sector stretched for human resources?
A Joined Up Approach To Solving The Problem
Security teams can use many approaches to prevent and manage incidents. Deterrence, catching people in the act, and evidence collection are key. But without the right collaborative approach and communication technologies, teams will not be as effective as they could be.
At football matches - and other events and venues - this might translate to increasing the security presence at games to deter anti-social behaviour, violence and criminal behaviour. Added to this, it could involve equipping some staff with body-worn cameras. This can provide an added deterrent factor and support evidence collection. While CCTV footage is effective, it doesn’t record audio. This is where body-worn cameras show their strength. They capture not only video footage, but also what is being said by bad actors when incidents occur.
Body-worn cameras could also be used to support evidence collection around incidents related to racial abuse or inappropriate chanting, for example – such as the recent instance experienced at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, when fans chanted inappropriately after the news of Sir Bobby Charlton’s death. Similarly, at sporting events, CCTV, body-worn cameras and communication technologies can enable security teams to collaborate and spot wrong doing in crowds and co-ordinate a response. They provide additional useful detail.
Communication Technology’s Role
At the heart of all of these joined-up approaches lies a strong need for technology to enable effective communication. Gone are the days when security guards are armed just with a high-viz vest, hard boots and walkie-talkie radio. To protect the stadium and other fans, employees need the correct tools to communicate. This will enable them to work together effectively to prevent incidents from scaling and to catch perpetrators in the act, collaboratively.
So, what is the best technology today? Smartphones prove impractical in emergency situations as the time taken to make calls and wait for colleagues to respond is too long. Alternatively, PoC (Push-to-Talk over Cellular) offers a more reliable solution. Security staff on the ground can instantly communicate on an open channel and effortlessly report any misconduct or known offenders who are causing problems at matches. Similar to smartphones, PoC operates on 3G, 4G, 5G, and WiFi, eliminating the need for significant investments in central infrastructure, allowing for quick deployment. In addition to emergency incidents, security guards can readily report other issues that require attention – such as when there might be fan congestion in key areas in a stadium or anything requiring fast communication.
Further, there are a wide range of devices available today, some of which come with dual functionality, combining features like Push to Talk and Body Worn Cameras in a single device. This eliminates the necessity for security teams to carry multiple devices, resulting in significant cost and energy savings. With only one device to charge, maintain, and dispose of at the end of its lifespan, the overall efficiency and convenience is greatly enhanced.
Conclusion
Today, the sector is grappling with a shortage of staff. Yet, antisocial behaviour and violence is on the rise in football. In many cases security teams are not making use of modern technology and more effective joined up approaches to reduce inappropriate behaviour at stadiums and events – be it for football matches or any other kind of entertainment scenario.
And, while using CCTV has its strengths, a drawback is that it needs to be coupled with modern communication technologies and a collaborative approach to be truly successful. Factoring this into ongoing security operations at events and stadiums will help provide an answer to managing this problem for all staff concerned, while protecting teams and the public at large.
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