Stadium Surveillance by Attendees

Surveillance conducted by the public is an increasing and important trend. A September 2010 tennis match fight demonstrates this well. During the match, a fight breaks out among attendees. The fight is captured in sharp detail plus audio from multiple smartphones/personal cameras.

Below is the video:

Even with multi-megapixel cameras, the resolution and details these video clips is impossible with traditional facility based surveillance. It seems certain that video from the public is becoming an important force in conducting investigations at incidents with crowds. We are likely entering a world where the authorities will not only immediately look for the facility's surveillance but also the real-time recordings of the people nearby.

Another good example of individuals recording an altercation comes from a June 2010 Seattle case involving the police and a subject under arrest.