Police Use of Twitter During a Sporting Mega-Event

Abstract

Abstract There exists a range of sporting mega-event security case studies from respective Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, International Association Football Federation (FIFA) World Cup, and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Championships. This literature tends to focus on outlining the policing and physical security arrangements at respective Games and the social consequences of these. However, no studies have examined police use of social media at a mega-event. This article addresses this gap by analysing the Twitter activities of social media accounts from police forces and units within Glasgow and London during the Euro 2020 Finals. The article makes an empirical contribution to the mega-events and policing literature by identifying that the police used Twitter in five strategic ways: security spectacle, demonstration of effective partnership working, responsibilization of citizens, public feedback and reporting, and real-time crowd management. Such findings have important implications for the use of social media by police practitioners at future mega-events and for football policing.