Eagle eyes for increased security in the football stadium

Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer 04 Leverkusen start the jubilee season (50 years of German Bundesliga) with new super cameras. These are intended to ensure increased security in the stadiums. Equipment, installation and service are supplied by video surveillance technology specialist Dallmeier 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 pinpoint sharp images of the stands from the first to the ninetieth 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 BT Germany, and video security specialist Dallmeier 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, and thus improve security inside the stadium.

The special, patented cameras are directed mainly at the areas of the stadium where criminal or violent acts are most likely to occur.

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", says Bernhard Nießen, Head of Stadium Operations and Security Officer for Borussia Mönchengladbach. As soon as an incident occurs, the police can focus on individuals using the zoom function. So suspected offenders can be brought to justice on the 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", continues Nießen. 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" camera technology from Dallmeier. The unique multifocal sensor system was developed specially to provide video surveillance for large expanses such as stadiums, large car parks 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 over a hundred metres away", explains Nießen.

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 is the responsibility of Stemmer: The IT service provider, a member of the BT (British Telecommunications) group, was responsible for the planning, installation and all essential services as a single source.

"Installing and operating video surveillance systems on this scale demands a tremendous amount of experience with networks and extensive technological expertise. Our partnership with the camera experts at Dallmeier is the perfect combination of these requirements", says Pantelis Assikoglou, Managing Director of Stemmer GmbH.