With summer in full swing, many people will be heading out to enjoy a variety of events and festivals. How can proactive video security be leveraged to help protect attendees and maintain a safe and enjoyable environment at events?
Why is Event Security important?
Events are attended by hundreds and thousands of people which can create a volatile environment where anything can happen, when left unsecure. While most who attend events are there to enjoy themselves, others may be there to cause trouble in the form of vandalism, theft, violence, or other potential causes for alarm.
Thieves at events are targeting attendees for their mobile phones, payment cards, and other personal belongings. Vendors, event amenities and merchandise, and equipment are also ripe targets for thieves and vandals at events. What is particularly alarming is that these thefts may not be immediately discovered, with the realization that something has been taken occurring well after the event. Health and safety is also of utmost importance at events of all sizes – with the need to prevent unsafe behaviour such as climbing poles, alcohol or drug abuse, or medical emergencies. No two events are the same, requiring a customized security solution tailored to the needs of the specific event.
The call for event security and crowd control.
In May 2024, Toronto Police significantly ramped up their presence at the Victoria Day festivities at Woodbine Beach. The increased presence was due to incidents of crime experienced in previous years, including violence, thefts, and individuals shooting off fireworks at each other, creating an unpredictable and hostile environment for those attending. Officers on-site had riot gear on standby in case anything serious occurred and crowd control security was needed. (1)
In June 2024, an after-party spilled out onto the streets of Toronto after the conclusion of a popular local concert at Scotiabank Arena. The festivities were initially positive with no issues, but the situation soon deteriorated and a large amount of people got out of hand, with Police soon called to provide crowd control. (2)
During the same period, a popular BMX riding event in Kingston, ON was the target of break-ins and theft that left the event without vital equipment. A maintenance shed at the track location was broken into – thieves stole tools, a skid-steer, and equipment used to flatten the BMX track, all essential equipment to run the event. This left the event organizers and riders in limbo as they raced to replace the much needed equipment before the event start. (3)
These incidents highlight the need for effective security at festivals and other events...
How do we provide effective event security?
Site Planning & Logistics creates a customized security plan
The first step in establishing proactive security is site planning and logistics. Our Logistics team are experts in special event security.
They will meet with event organizers to determine where and what areas need coverage, and where to best place our Video Security Units, creating a customized security plan tailored to the event. Our Logistics team will continue to hone this customized security plan as the event gets closer – structures, vendor booths, and placement of other elements of the event setup can be fluid up until the event begins, and our Logistics team will be able to pivot quickly if there are any last minute considerations. Industrial generators are used to provide power and the Logistics team will setup a dedicated security trailer on-site monitored by a dedicated Remote Video Monitoring operator.
Cellular LTE+ Platform provides wireless protection
Our proprietary cellular LTE+ platform is the backbone of our proactive security solutions – powering the data communications of our Video Security Units to create an envelope of protection at events of all kinds. Many events and festivals are temporary setups in places like parks, venues, golf courses, and remote locations. This requires a solution free of hardwired Internet, with Ethernet cables that can impede movement, create an unsightly mess of cables, or cause a hazard for injury at events. All footage captured by our Video Security Units is transmitted in high-quality back to the mobile Monitoring centre setup on-site at the event. Installation of our units is flexible and adaptable to any environment; they can be mounted on poles, tents, and trees to cover important areas and provide full coverage where it is required.
Live Remote Video Monitoring & Incident Response create a safe atmosphere at events
All Video Monitoring is handled on-site through a dedicated mobile Video Security Monitoring centre. Our Live Operator will collaborate with on-site security staff to provide a full security presence and stay in constant communication for the duration of the event. The Operator can provide important information to those on the ground – suspect descriptions, location, and behavior. The use of Live Remote Video Monitoring helps to cut down costs on more traditional event security guard services, with less physical guards needed on-site to watch over the event proceedings.
Post-Event Procedures provide additonal insight
After an event has concluded, we can provide video reviews of any incidents that occurred during the course of the event. Our post-event procedures provide additional details and insights to help event organizers gain an understanding if anything occurred on-site, and provide insight on event operations to determine if anything should be altered to create a safer event environment in the future. All video data is securely handed over to event organizers and this raw video is important for insurance purposes. If there is any question as to what occurred, the video footage can present a complete picture of what happened.
Proactive security and Live Remote Video Monitoring can help ensure events are safer environments for all attending, while also helping to deter theft, vandalism, property damage, and more.
Resources:
- “Toronto police stepping up presence at Woodbine Beach this Victoria Day long weekend”, Joanna Lavoie, CTV News Toronto, May 16, 2024
- “Huge after party following Feid’s Toronto show ends with police intervention”, Anushka Yadav, Now Toronto, June 4, 2024
- “Kingston BMX track struggles after break-in, theft ahead of provincial event”, Daily Guardian, June 25, 2024