As sporting venues continue to welcome fans at full capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, security personnel are facing a slew of new problems, including staffing shortages and poor fan behavior. There have been numerous incidents of unruly fans crossing the line at NBA playoff games, MLB games, and more. But how can stadiums combat this unrest while still giving the other 99% of fans a great experience?
SecurityInformed Magazine asked Patriot One CEO Peter Evans to write about this problem and how stadiums can crack down on poor behavior by “digitally transforming” the role of security guards by using modern weapons and threat detection technology. These AI-enabled tools give stadium operators extra control by providing guards with real-time alerts and intelligence, so instead of sitting in front of monitors or spending hours watching people who are behaving properly, they can instead be out in the venue performing value-add activities.
This also means fewer guards are needed to deliver superior results, because instead of being de facto manual laborers, they become digital knowledge workers delivering better outcomes. With fewer guards needed, stadiums can also invest more in each guard – turning a “job” into a “career,” while lowering burnout and improving the patron experience.
Read Peter’s full article in SecurityInformed here.