Local establishments should prepare for large crowds, emotional fans 

The World Cup kicks off in mid-June. The epic quadrennial event can be a dream for fans, but Russian and international law enforcement is already working on World Cup security plans to prevent nightmares.

Preventing an act of terrorism at one of the stadiums scattered around the huge country is top of mind, but security and safety threats also include riotous and drunken fans, theft and vandalism. Police will focus on crowd control and protecting venues, but it’s largely up to the owners of adjacent restaurants, shops, other venues, and fans themselves, to guarantee their own security. Many private establishments will use tools already familiar to Gallaher customers: Camera Surveillance and security protocols.

These lessons can be applied in Knoxville and other American cities, too, as soccer fans celebrate the month-long football frenzy. Though the U.S. national team failed to qualify for the tournament for the first time in nearly 30 years, legions of fans will flock to venues across the area to cheer on their other favorite national teams.

While game days likely won’t amount to the crush of Vol fans on fall Saturdays, many venues will aggressively advertise and court business, so don’t be surprised to see some packed establishments in downtown Knoxville and beyond.

We encourage East Tennessee venue management and ownership to be as prepared for security threats as their Russian counterparts.

Here are some tips for keeping drunken fans or criminals – or worse – from spoiling enjoyment of the Beautiful Game:

• Check your camera system: Make sure your surveillance cameras are properly operational and programmed to capture images at a resolution that is enforceable in court. The mere presence of the cameras can deter crime, even in a packed house. Cameras can collect dust and often need to be professionally cleaned, and today’s camera systems should be verified for proper operations and programming settings.
• Train staff: Make sure staff is trained to deal with an active threat.  Make sure your call list or phone tree is up to date. After 911, do staff members or managers know the first number to call in case of emergency?
• Check fire alarms and exits: Check your fire alarm systems. A fire in any crowded, confined area can result in panic and death or injury from trampling, smoke inhalation or the fire itself. The most likely and often overlooked threat, however, is smoke inhalation, so ensure that emergency exits are clear in the event of an emergency.
• Hire more security: We’re not talking just a big bouncer with lots of tattoos. We’re talking professional security staff, such as moonlighting police officers or those provided by a reputable security agency. Fortunately, we live in an area where law enforcement is not an enemy, so people in uniform is the most effective.
• Present a hard target: Make sure the stickers on your door notifying patrons of surveillance or alarm systems are up to date. This will suggest you are a hard target, and troublemakers might be persuaded to head elsewhere to cause trouble. Contact your security company to get replacement stickers if yours are too faded or too dirty to read. But a word of caution: Sometimes merchants or others actually request just the stickers, not the security equipment. If violence or some kind of tragedy strikes a venue displaying stickers that suggest surveillance cameras or other security features exist, the owners could be on the hook for criminal negligence suits.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The likelihood of extreme violence either in Russia or the U.S. is probably slim, but it helps to be prepared. Contact Us for more information on how we can kick down some security measures, and enjoy the games!