Premier League announces new partnership with National Police Chiefs’ Council

Agreement will further strengthen matchday safety and enhance the experience for football fans The Premier League and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) have announced a new partnership to further strengthen matchday safety and enhance the experience for football fans. With the Premier League investing up to £10million, the partnership will implement a series of pilots using the latest technology and innovation to support the police. The UK Football Policing Unit and the Premier League already work together to deliver safe and enjoyable matchdays for supporters. Pilot schemes will explore how new operational approaches can build on this success. Police forces will work with Premier League Clubs in London, Merseyside and the West Midlands with the first projects rolling out next year to include: - Piloting drones in the West Midlands to provide an improved picture of what is happening around football stadia and help manage risks to public safety more effectively- Leveraging data and AI-driven predictive modelling to understand crowd dynamics and enhance public safety in Merseyside- Piloting live intelligence-led facial recognition in London to identify and prevent serious offenders attending matches, building on the experience of deployments that have already taken place at some major events in the capital The aim is to learn from the projects to establish if they enable safer and more effective delivery of public events for the public as well as sharing best practice which could benefit sport and other major events nationwide. Alongside this new partnership, the League has already invested an additional £3million in projects to enhance fan experience in stadia including improvements in national stewarding. Clare Sumner, Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer at the Premier League, said: “The experience and safety of our fans is a key priority, and the Premier League is committed to making our stadia as welcoming as possible for everyone. “The Premier League recognises the significant contribution that police forces make to the safety of Premier League fans, both on match days and more broadly in the communities that our Clubs are at the heart of. I am pleased that this partnership will take our collaboration further, building an even stronger relationship between the Premier League and police.” Chief Constable Mark Roberts, UK Football Policing Unit, the national lead for football policing, said: “This is a positive joint approach between policing, the Premier League and Clubs to deliver safe and secure football events for supporters and the general public. It enables us to develop technologies that will assist us in our joint efforts and I cannot think of any similar initiative anywhere else in the world. The additional benefit is that it will allow us to develop national capability which is transferable to other areas of policing and public safety.” Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime, said: “Every fan deserves to feel safe when they go to the game, so I welcome the Premier League working with the police to use cutting-edge technology at match days. By working together, we can ease pressure on officers, while improving public safety.” The Strategic Partnership is guided by a senior leadership group chaired by Dame Lynne Owens comprising senior representatives from UK policing and the Premier League. Members include the UK Football Policing lead Chief Constable Mark Roberts, alongside senior police leaders from Merseyside Police, West Midlands Police, the Metropolitan Police Service and Greater Manchester Police. Local pilots will be developed in the force areas, working with Premier League Clubs engaging with stakeholders, including fans, as the projects are delivered.