The use of face recognition technology to monitor sports fans at the gates of stadiums continues to grow in prominence, with Australia the next country to be considering its use across its national grounds.
The technology can be used to scan and save the images of people entering grounds, with the data being stored on a country-wide database.
The method of security operation has already been adopted in the US, South America and Germany in a bid to eradicate sports-related violence and troublesome fans.
The current situation in Australia sees the potential enforcement of five-year exclusions for fans causing trouble, though this relies entirely on security forces spotting the perpetrators with the human eye. However, the introduction of the recognition technology could help to prevent hooliganism, vandalism and general unrest at major sporting events.
In Melbourne, security officials are already investigating the prospect of its use to help prevent trouble in major sports such as the country’s A-League football division.
“Victoria Police support the use of any form of technology that can improve the safety and security of fans attending sporting events at Melbourne’s iconic venues and stadiums,” commander Rick Nugent of Victoria Police told the press in Australia. “These venues already have world-class CCTV technology and improved surveillance systems, so facial recognition technology is just another way of assisting police and security monitor events.”
Even for clubs with less-equipped budgets, methods are currently being trialled to ensure technology can be used across all levels of sport.
As well as the more expensive face recognition methods, some clubs are asking supporters to voluntarily commit photographs to databases in order to give security forces the best possible chance of ensuring peace before, during and after fixtures.
