Beyond the stadium: Crowd control

James Bagguley, Technical Services Director, Amulet Security says that the secure patrols of stadiums cannot be understated.

When hosting major events, the need for strict measures and protocols cannot be understated. We still need to keep people safe once they have left a stadium.

Crowd-monitoring software ensures a safe flow of people, but CCTV monitoring may not always be comprehensive.

Suppose, for example, an event is due to draw in crowds beyond its capacity. In that case, crowd crushing can occur around stadiums within minutes as people exit or attempt to enter nearby transport links.

This stretches beyond stadiums too – for events like outdoor festivals, marathons and parades, crowd control and monitoring needs people on the ground who can stay connected with each other and remote teams.

Command and control vehicles are an adaptable, technologically enhanced solution; they can attend sites, integrate with systems and provide CCTV towers within a closed network.

This technology allows officers to detect incidents and rapidly respond by travelling to prime locations. Their ability to operate as standalone vehicles makes them indispensable in emergency scenarios.

Inside the vehicle

Command and control vehicles mobilise multiple mechanisms that offer more eyes and ears on the ground than in traditional security models.

Within it, two officers can review live feeds – including a monitor showing CCTV camera feeds (integrated regardless of the make, brand or model of CCTV), either placed on-site by a van operator or attuned to the CCTV towers in a nearby closed network.

Its multi-network router can also access twelve different cellular networks, from 2G to 5G, so no matter the crowd density, officers can stay in contact.

Other monitors review incoming intelligence and manage officer deployment.

The vehicle constantly receives and feeds information to remote control monitoring teams, so everyone offsite is in the loop.

Monitors can track relevant assets, like transported goods, identify people on the move and flag instances that need response.

No matter where these occur, the vans can travel to the prime location. They can also act as their own line of defence, placed to vet coming and going vehicles from stadiums or blocking other vehicles’ movement.

The vans are equipped with ANPR, which instantly reads registration numbers and checks them against a database of flagged vehicles.

ANPR technology can be deployed in high-risk areas to flag vehicles connected to travelling criminals or organised crime groups.

These vans can be integrated with a client’s systems, but are not reliant on them, any power feed or network. If there are network failures or remote-control room failures, the vans can still operate.

Safe journeys

Imagine a large crowd travelling later in the evening, after a concert has finished.

Among the many safe travellers are often rowdy and uncooperative individuals that officers need to respond to, requiring their time and attention.

In areas like the railway, that makes it difficult to monitor an entire station – like trespassers attempting to cross the rail tracks.

Vans are equipped with thermal imaging cameras that can detect individuals hiding in outside spaces.

This initial detection allows for the fast deployment of officers, which is vital as any contact with electrified running lines could prove fatal.

Other cameras, like drone software aerial surveillance, enable rapid assessments in inaccessible or high-risk zones.

Instance reporting and real-time analytics

The monitoring tools of the van are instrumental in keeping all stakeholders informed and in bringing people to justice.

For example, when the van was operating outside one of Amulet’s train operating company (TOC) client’s stations after a major event, thermal imaging cameras detected two trespassers.

They notified the British Transport Police (BTP), which led to two apprehensions and evidence requests. The team was able to provide images that supported the BTP’s pursuit to convict.

Robotic systems can also complement human efforts in crowd management and perimeter security.

By handling routine or high-risk monitoring tasks, these technologies can free teams to focus on critical decision-making and interventions.

Coupled with advanced AI, robotics can analyse patterns, identify potential threats and communicate actionable insights directly to the team.

These analytics also keep stakeholders in the loop.

The vans use people-counting software that understands the ebb and flow of large crowds, which can be fed back to clients so they can reallocate staff and resources.

For example, the vans were used after the London marathon; a TOC client needed to prevent overcrowding on transport platforms after crowds dispersed.

The van and officers on the ground used crowd monitoring to measure the volume of commuters and raised concerns about any crowd-crushing possibilities.

This allowed workers to stagger entry into the stations.

Another example was after a festival, where event organisers, tram lines, bus services and the BTP all needed to stay informed.

The monitoring analytics in vans provided real-time crowd analytics, including live people counting reports and hourly automated reports.

This allowed the TOC to add additional transport to the line and keep the public safe by allocating resources to what transport was needed when and in what areas.

The future

Camera-based monitoring technology is becoming the norm in the industry – officers are increasingly equipped with body-worn cameras and technology like thermal cameras provides hi-resolution imaging for evidence gathering and threat detection.

Elsewhere, new technology is transforming the industry by enhancing efficiency, coverage and precision while supporting teams on the ground.

Tools like drones, robotic patrol units and intelligent surveillance robots act as force multipliers.

When equipped with sensors, cameras and AI, robots can monitor vast areas to detect anomalies and provide real-time data to personnel.

With technologies like these integrated into command and control vehicles, threat detection, emergency response and crowd monitoring keep people safe and sites protected more than ever before.