Data Driven Planning in Football Policing

The policing approach to the operational running of football events remains largely analogue, relying heavily on traditional intelligence assessments and risk categorisation to inform match planning, resource allocation and costs. This approach is widely utilised and relies heavily on the match commander assigned to the policing operation, their planning teams using an analogue risk management matrix along with their skills and experience to inform their judgement of the level of risk that each football match presents. This generic approach, however, presents a margin of risk, owing to the historically manual interpretation of the available intelligence, which can therefore lack the precision and adaptability offered by modern data-driven solutions. Policing seeks to provide more efficient processes to lessen the impact on resourcing and costs and to therefore ensure that the service offered to the public is as cost effective as it can be. Being able to be more specific with resourcing both inside and outside the football ground will impact costs for policing. There is also increased concern about officer wellbeing, and how to stretch resourcing to meet demand, precious rest periods often need to be interrupted impacting on the officers' welfare.