Smartphone Application Developed for Super Bowl Security
Smartphone application to help with security efforts during the Super Bowl.
- By Sydny Shepard
- Jan 26, 2018
Police in charge of guarding fans at the Super Bowl have a new tool to help them keep crowds safe during the 10 days of festivities in Minneapolis this year. It's an app called, FieldWatch, that will help give police tactical awareness.
Securonet developed the app at the request of Minneapolis police. More than 2,000 officers will download the application to the smartphones as well as state and federal partners.
A major function of the app is the ability to live stream what the officer is looking at. The video is sent straight to the supervisors in charge at the command center.
“There might be unidentified objects or suspicious activities going on or maybe it’s a protest that they want to make sure everybody is safe for so it’s good to have a view to command as to what’s going on,” Secruonet president Dan Zell told a local news station.
The app also tracks officer locations and allows them to request backup if necessary. The platform also makes it easier for the command unit to communicate with officers instead of using text or email.
Zell calls this a huge opportunity for his company that’s still in it’s infancy. He said this is the first time this technology has been used during a Super Bowl, but it has tested the product before at the X Games. The company plans to launch it nationwide after the big game.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.