How Did The Euro 2020 Final Show The Importance Of Body-Worn Cameras?

Regrettably, however, it also provided a vivid illustration of the importance of body-worn cameras for security professionals and police officers with responsibility for protecting the safety of the public during mass participation events.

For a small yet troublesome group among the many England fans who were unable to obtain tickets to attend the game against Italy in person, watching the TV coverage from the comfort of their own homes simply would not suffice. Instead, they choose to travel to London in the hope of gaining entry in any way they could.

In shocking scenes unprecedented in recent times, reports indicated that as many as two thousand ticketless England supporters were able to break into Wembley stadium by surging on a number of different entrances in large groups.

Given all of the above, the value of deploying body-worn camera technology as part of a wider security strategy for sporting and other mass events could not be more clear. However, considering the extremely fast pace at which unfortunate episodes such as the disturbances at the Euro 2020 Final occur, it also makes sense to ensure that the security staff are equipped with the most advanced technology available.

After all, the degree of clarity expected by both the legal profession and the public at large when viewing security footage increases alongside the capabilities of the relevant technology. As such, updating the equipment used by security personnel will not only ensure that it is reliable but also means that it is capable of meeting these expectations.

Body-worn camera equipment enables not only crime resolution after the event but also enables security staff to respond more quickly to anti-social incidents as they develop, potentially preventing situations from escalating. In fact, one of the difficulties faced at Wembley last year was the relative scarcity of such camera equipment among security and ticketing teams.

If the riot demonstrated anything, it was the value of widespread body-worn camera equipment for security staff in a range of industries, not just restricted to events crowd control. Many high-risk industries, including hospitality, night-time entertainment, retail, events management, and private security, could reap the benefits of greater visibility and transparency at the front line – providing better safety for legitimate customers and protecting security staff from allegations of misconduct.