Blocked spectator blocks and fines are almost a thing of the past
Like most stadiums worldwide, the “Alsancak Mustafa Denizli Stadium” also suffers from vandalism and riots by individual fans. In order to be able to better identify and track perpetrators and thus reduce the financial and non-material damage, the operator opted for a video security solution from the German manufacturer Dallmeier.
The Alsancak Mustafa Denizli Stadium in Izmir – named after the former Turkish football player and current coach Mustafa Denizli – is a multi-purpose stadium where mainly football matches are played. With over 15,000 seats, it is one of the medium-sized stadiums in Turkey. Originally built in 1929, it was demolished in 2015 and reopened after reconstruction in November 2021.
Up to 15 per cent fewer spectators due to riots
In Turkey, stadiums are usually owned by the Ministry of Sports, which then hands over the rights of use to an operator. In the case of the Alsancak Stadium, this was to “Altay Izmir”, a Turkish football club in Izmir that currently plays in the first Turkish professional league. The club, like so many other football stadiums, has had its fair share of repeated incidents and threats to spectators and players. These include insults and even the throwing of objects onto the pitch. Besides the immaterial damage to the image, the consequences have been painful: from classic fines to the blocking of an entire spectator block – a loss of 1,000 to 2,000 spectators per home game, and that on a regular basis.
How is image quality defined in order to recognise offenders?
Under these conditions, the operators were looking for a solution that would allow them to reliably detect and track potential offenders. As a criterion for image quality, a minimum resolution density of 144 pixels per metre (px/m) was specified in the tender, which is also required by law. This means that there must be at least 144 pixels in the camera image in order to depict every metre of “reality” on the stand. This value is thus between the qualities of “recognition” (125 px/m) and “identification” (250 px/m) specified in the DIN EN 62676-4 standard.
Only ten cameras for grandstand surveillance
In order to find the most suitable solution for Alsancak Stadium, the Ministry of Sport decided to invite different manufacturers for a comparative test. After the proofs of concept (PoCs) of several companies were available, the owner decided on a solution from the German manufacturer Dallmeier electronic. In addition to around 140 single sensor cameras for corridors, the outdoor areas and entrances, only ten “Panomera®” multifocal sensor systems are required for the particularly critical grandstand surveillance.
39 percent more resolution than required
The low number of camera systems required for grandstand surveillance is a result of the patented multifocal sensor technology: the Panomera® cameras combine the images from up to seven detail sensors and one overview sensor in a single camera system. This provides the user with a high-resolution overall image of the complete area to be monitored, which looks like a single image of a huge environment. In this overall image, system operators can now open any number of detail views simultaneously, while the overall scene is always preserved in high resolution – even in the recording, which is essential for possible prosecution. This guarantees an optimal overview of the situation and at the same time ensures that all events can be followed live, in high resolution and in detail. In the Alsancak Stadium, thanks to the technology, even at least 200 px/m are now available across the entire area instead of the required 144 px/m, 39 per cent more than originally demanded.
No surprises: Remote “FAT” and training by Dallmeier Türkiye
Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the stadium technicians were unable to travel to Dallmeier’s headquarters in Regensburg (Germany) to accept the system and participate in classroom training. For this reason, the so-called Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) took place online. The entire system was set up, configured and remotely accepted at the FAT Centre in Regensburg. The training of the technicians and operators was carried out by Dallmeier Türkiye experts on site.
Serkan Atalar, CEO of system integrator RESA Construction Electromechanical Inc CO is very enthusiastic: “Dallmeier’s sincere and cooperative approach as well as the high-tech products and after-sales support they offered were very impressive. We thank Dallmeier Türkiye for the great cooperation.”
“The customer is very satisfied with the Panomera® systems. The benefits correspond to the combination of a powerful megapixel camera with any number of high-resolution ‘virtual’ PTZ cameras. At the same time, the systems reduce the total cost of ownership for infrastructure, cables, masts, screen workstations, etc.,” sums up Serkan Atalar. “Three system operators with only one monitor each are sufficient for operation. In addition, there is another workstation each for the police and the management. With this solution, Alsancak Stadium has 100 per cent control over the security situation in the stadium at all times, can react immediately and reliably track perpetrators. And all this at a low total cost of ownership and with minimal manpower due to the unique multifocal sensor technology.”
