German football clubs Borussia M?nchengladbach and Bayer 04 Leverkusen started the jubilee season (50 years of German Bundesliga) with new cameras, intended to ensure increased security in the stadiums. Equipment, installation and service are provided by surveillance specialist Dallmeier electronic and IT service provider Stemmer.
German football clubs Borussia M?nchengladbach and Bayer 04 Leverkusen started the jubilee season (50 years of German Bundesliga) with new cameras, intended to ensure increased security in the stadiums. Equipment, installation and service are provided by surveillance specialist Dallmeier electronic and IT service provider Stemmer.
When they defeated Hoffenheim at the Borussia Park stadium in their first match of the new Bundesliga season, the Gladbacher Foals were enjoying more than just success on the field. They also had plenty to celebrate in terms of security; the new video surveillance system delivered sharp images of the stands from the first to the 90th minute. The same scenario played out in Leverkusen.
Working with the football club's IT department, Stemmer, a wholly owned subsidiary of network and IT service provider British Telecommunications (BT) Germany, and video security specialist Dallmeier electronic recently commissioned the new cameras in the BayArena. With the new digital cameras, and in close cooperation with their security experts and the police, the two Bundesliga football clubs expect to be able to respond to incidents more rapidly and more precisely, thus improving security inside the stadium.
In the past, prosecutors in Germany were handicapped because only magnetic tapes were admissible as evidence in the event of offences. But now, courts are also accepting tamper-proof digital storage methods. “With the new cameras, we are providing even more comprehensive security coverage, and we can track down offenders more effectively”, said Bernhard Nie?en, Head of Stadium Operations and Security Officer for Borussia M?nchengladbach. As soon as an incident occurs, the police can focus on individuals using the zoom function; suspected offenders can be detained on the same day of the match.
The recordings are also stored digitally. “This enables us to carry out a thorough investigation that will stand up in a court of law,” Nie?en said. This capability is also deterrent in nature, and is intended to make individuals think twice before they commit an offence. The solution is based on the Panomera technology from Dallmeier. The unique multifocal sensor system was developed specially to provide video surveillance for large expanses such as stadiums, large parking structures or airports. By applying geometric construction principles, the pixels are used in such a way that even more distant objects can be represented with the same resolution as objects in the foreground. “With resolution of this order, we can create a passport photograph of the culprit from more than 100 meters away,” Nie?en explained.
In order to ensure that a video surveillance system of this kind functions perfectly for large-scale events that regularly attract as many as 50,000 spectators, the IT and network infrastructure must be able to withstand the most demanding conditions. The high-resolution video technology must be capable of transmitting and processing enormous quantities of data and storing them so that they are completely invulnerable to tampering. This aspect, including planning, installation and all essential services, is taken care of by Stemmer. “Installing and operating video surveillance systems of this scale demands a tremendous amount of experience with networks and extensive technological expertise. Our partnership with Dallmeier is the perfect combination of these requirements,” said Pantelis Assikoglou, MD of Stemmer.
Other organizations and clubs have already expressed their interest, and are preparing to take the same capability to the field.