Dutch soccer team to use Panasonic face recognition system at stadium

Dutch club FC Groningen has kicked off a season-long trial initiative in which it has installed security cameras with facial recognition software at Noordlease Stadium, according to a report by Computer Business Review.

The soccer club has installed four Panasonic Full HD security cameras with facial recognition software at the turnstiles.

“Panasonic has always been a strong player in the security sector and the quality and reliability of our solutions are being proven by some strong installation growth,” said Jeroen Cleijne, channel manager for security solutions at Panasonic Business. “We are honored to be able to contribute to this project and create a safer environment for Dutch football supporters so they can enjoy a match without problems. Through the project we are helping contribute to a safer football league.”

The security cameras will capture the facial images of attendees as they walk through the turnstiles, then immediately send the images to the control room where Panasonic face matching software compares them to a database of registered individuals who are banned from the stadium.

The command room immediately receives a warning when a facial match is detected, at which point security personnel can intervene.

In accordance to privacy legislation, only the images of individuals with a stadium ban are saved in the database, without any accompanying personal data.

The full construction and network installation was conducted by Radio Holland, which has been responsible for all enterprise critical communication and security systems at FC Groningen.

The project is part of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security-assigned initiative, “Accessible, hospitable and safe football”.

During the pilot phase, new solutions are being sought to further optimise the safety in and around the football stadiums of the Dutch first class teams.

“With this new solution, our security personnel can be used much more effectively,” said Dian De Bruijn, safety and public coordinator at FC Groningen. “In the past, the control room had to scan all 22,500 visitors individually visually, the cameras and software can now do that automatically for them, giving them a warning within seconds if something is detected. This way, their attention can be shifted to other priorities, such as ensuring continued safety on the stands and along walkways and passages before and during the game.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  identity verification  |  Panasonic  |  pilot project  |  security