Chiefs buy body cameras for stadium security
LENEXA, Kan. — Safety officers at Arrowhead Stadium have a high-tech tool in their arsenal — state-of-the-art body cameras.
The Kansas City Chiefs are counting on high-definition eyes to tell no lies. The Chiefs have purchased 120 body cameras from Johnson County tech firm Digital Ally, which is based in Lenexa, Kansas. These wearable cameras are like the ones police officers use.
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Digital Ally President Brody Green said these cameras will run for 12-15 hours per charge. When they’re connected to their charging docks, they upload video clips to cloud storage. They can also stream online allowing a security supervisor to access them live.
Guards will wear the cameras attached to their shirts or jackets for all events at Arrowhead Stadium, including Chiefs home games. The Chiefs franchise began using a previous version of this technology in 2019.
“If at the end of the day or a week later, somebody thinks a security guard was out of line, and wants to press charges or make a big deal of it, the venue can then say, well, here’s the video of what actually took place,” Green said.
Chiefs security guards often address crowd concerns, like the 2021 scuffle involving popular hip-hop artist Trey Songz was arrested for punching a police officer. Songz was arrested, but never charged with a crime. In 2022, Chiefs superfan Ty Rowton, who goes by the nickname “X-Factor,” was banned from Arrowhead Stadium for fighting.
Wyandotte County’s Sheriff’s Department uses these cameras. Sheriff Daniel Soptic told FOX4 News sometimes, security and police officers don’t know about an incident until its over, and being able to watch these cameras live makes them useful.
“One thing technology has helped us do is to be more responsive to incidents. The faster we become aware of something, the faster we can correct it or intervene if we need to,” Sheriff Soptic said.
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The Chiefs wouldn’t take direct questions from FOX4 about the new cameras. However, the team in a statement to the Kansas City Business Journal, Colby Harrison, the franchise’s director of safety and event security, said: “We recognize the value of deploying Digital Ally’s FirstVu PRO body cameras as part of our commitment to creating a safe and positive experience to our fans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.”
Green also said campus police officers at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University use these cameras, as well as security officers for two other National Football League franchises.
