State-of-the-art camera technology at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light is watching supporters on match days.
The special high resolution Panomera CCTV camera, which can clearly identify any individual within the stadium, was installed last season to assist the police and club safety staff to ensure that any incidents of anti-social behaviour can be dealt with swiftly and efficiently. The camera is able to capture detailed footage of the stadium’s entire away section, whilst being able to rewind and zoom in as it continues to record.
Whilst the vast majority of fans who visit the Stadium of Light are well behaved, the technology gives the club and police the ability to easily identify individuals engaging in any form of anti-social behaviour, such as throwing smoke grenades, coins or damaging seats.
Sunderland AFC’s head of safety, Paul Weir, said: “The system uses the latest technology to ensure that we can create a safer environment for everyone at the Stadium of Light. The majority of supporters visiting the stadium are very well behaved and are here to simply enjoy the game and get behind their team. However, having this system in place ensures that we can quickly identify and deal with the small minority intent on causing disorder.
“We can view footage of any incident, and more importantly, the minutes preceding the incident. This is particularly useful if for example a smoke grenade has being set off or a missile being thrown. We can rewind to the incident and zoom in, so we effectively see the smoke rewinding back into the canister and into the hand of the offender, likewise missiles zoom backwards to the throwers hand – clearly indicating the individual responsible for the act.”
Chief Superintendent Steve Neill, operations commander at Northumbria Police, said: “We welcome the investment Sunderland AFC have made in supporter safety at the Stadium of Light. We will continue to work closely with the club to ensure any misbehaviour within the stadium is dealt with positively and robustly.”
Needless to say, the system will be operating during Sunday’s derby fixture.
