FSM
Feature
Proactive Protection Of Football Stadiums Insight From Peter Jackson, MD, Jacksons Fencing
The recent Euros football tournament brought some much- needed joy to the nation following over a year of intermittent lockdowns caused by the pandemic.
Wembley Stadium has a maximum capacity of 90,000, but the government approached the final with caution, and settled on a maximum capacity of 40,000 in the semi-final, which was then increased to 60,000 in the final. However, as Wembley Stadium opened its doors to ticket holders on Sunday 11th July, no one could’ve anticipated what was to come. An unknown number of ticketless football fans stormed the stadium, breaching the security barriers in place and overpowering any stewards in their way.
It was described as a ‘security shambles,’ by the media, and various parties have been heavily criticised for their handling of the situation. This event has forced the industry to revaluate what proactive protective measures are essential to ensure events run safely and smoothly, protecting people and property from threat.
Pushing For Positive Change It
is obvious from recent events that football stadiums are challenging to protect effectively, especially when presented with mobs of passionate fans. The government is intent on exploring the most effective way for them to work with the parties responsible for these locations to achieve improved security. This means establishing responsibility for safety in the venue, considering what the reasonable expectations are, and the potential role played by legislation in mitigating these issues.
In February this year, the government launched a consultation on newly proposed anti-terrorism legislation to protect the general public. The Protect Duty, as it’s billed, builds on ‘Martyn’s Law’, legislation campaigned for by the mother of one of the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.
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The consultation will consider ways of developing proportionate security measures in locations that are accessible to the public. The aim is to make it a legal requirement for venue operators to assess and mitigate security risks, taking steps to protect the public, as currently there is no legal requirement to do so. Football stadiums fall into this category as they’re public venues with a capacity of over 100 people, with a minimum of 250 staff.
Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to predict or prevent all violent attacks, and any publicly accessible location can become a target at any time. It’s therefore essential that those responsible for the venues in question should be ready and prepared to take appropriate action at any given moment. This consultation aims to provide a security framework to help venues be prepared by considering the adequacy of adopted security measures, systems, and processes.
Stay Alert!
The consultation document includes a list of recommendations for venues:
•Be alert to suspicious behaviours, engage the person in a
welcoming and helpful manner or report them to the police •Be alert to abandoned bags
•Be security-minded, especially online. Avoid providing specific information that could aid a terrorist, for example, floor plans with security details
•Encourage and enable a security culture
•Complete and provide ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) Awareness e-learning
•Have a clear action plan. How would you respond to an incident inside or outside your site?
•Periodically review and refresh the risk assessment
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