“To ensure a complete overview of the situation in the stands, we need a surveillance system that is reliable, easy-to-use, and delivers highly-detailed images to help us quickly and accurately identify potential problems,” said Edgar Schweininger, security manager at SGL Arena. “We use the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system as a key tool to help reduce the risks — and costs — associated with disorderly fans.”

Avigilon, Vancouver, a provider of high-definition (HD) and megapixel video surveillance solutions, announced that the SGL Arena in Augsburg, Germany — a 30,660 seat stadium that is home to the FC Augsburg football club — deployed the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system to ensure spectator safety, confirm regulatory compliance, and reduce liability costs. Vulnerable to the threat of football-related violence and disorderly conduct, the SGL Arena deployed system as a strategic component of its security plan.

Security personnel manage the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system using Avigilon Control Center Enterprise network video management software (NVMS) with High-Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology. SGL Arena installed Avigilon 16 MP JPEG 2000 HD Pro cameras, which monitor the stands, entrances and exits, and other common areas. The Avigilon high-definition IP cameras are monitored live during games in the stadium’s state-of-the-art control room. The stadium relies on an Avigilon network video recorder to store up to 30 days of continuous surveillance footage.

The stadium can now hold perpetrators financially accountable for the related fines set by the German Football Association, reducing the stadium’s liability costs and ensuring regulatory compliance. The security team can also conduct investigations in half the time, it reported. The SGL Arena is confident that it will recover its investment within the first year of installation and has successfully met its top security goal to ensure the safety of its players and fans.