Digital surveillance is moving into the front seat at sports stadia across South Africa as crowd management and physical site security becomes a critical component of venue administration systems. That is according to Bernard Gilbert, regional sales manager at Intervid Africa - the local operation of security solutions provider Intervid. The company is at the forefront of stadium security and has already installed comprehensive digital surveillance systems at the Absa Stadium in Durban and the Newlands Rugby Stadium in Cape Town.
Stadium surveillance is not new - the European Football League as well as the French National Football League have guidelines for managing stadium safety and security where first division team games are played. These guidelines demand a comprehensive security system, providing realtime critical information.
Network based
Intervid has developed a successful strategy in the maintenance of security surveillance systems for public venues in South Africa. The company's surveillance solutions incorporate video surveillance systems, sound systems and network architecture.
At the Absa Stadium in Durban, home to the Sharks rugby team and a popular soccer venue, the Intervid system comprises 30 cameras in strategic locations in and around the stadium, a digital recording system and a control room. Absa stadium marketing manager Allen Kruger says, "The surveillance system gives our security operators the ability to be everywhere at once - monitoring the stadium grounds and perimeter as well as the stadium parking lots, gate entry, spectator suites and our 'Shark Cage'.
"We had a security problem at the suites with stock disappearing. Since the installation of the security system, we have been able to apprehend perpetrators and break-ins have declined."
According to Kruger, theft reduction was only one of the reasons for upgrading the stadium's surveillance system. Another was to improve crowd control and staff access.
Crowd control
Down in Cape Town, security personnel at the Newlands Rugby Stadium used to struggle to maintain crowd control outside the gates (crowds usually arrive late at the gates) and the control of theft and vandalism also proved problematical. The stadium implemented Intervid's digital surveillance solution three years ago and has since been able to monitor problem areas more effectively.
"The surveillance solution, consisting of seven dome cameras and five static cameras as well as a control room, lets operators pan, tilt or zoom the cameras via the computer network. This means security staff can remotely monitor and control the cameras, zooming in on trouble spots and dispatching security to incidents timeously. For example, we have been able to identify individual trouble makers in the crowds as well as those smuggling alcohol into the stadium," explains Western Province Rugby's stadium manager, Louis Snyman.
"We have also been able to deal more effectively with crowd control by dispatching gate controllers and ticket collectors to relevant entrance gates."
Martin Jones, regional director of Intervid KZN says, "Digital technology has become very popular because it provides a new level of functionality in terms of physical security and surveillance, offering better quality, scalability, speed, capacity and remote access than the analog systems.
"The solution ensures realtime transmission of critical information In addition, it is easy to install and operate, and is also fully scalable, which makes it remarkably cost-effective," Jones concludes.
For more information contact Martin Jones, Intervid KZN, 031 764 9700.
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