Thursday, 05. June 2025 |
SAP Garden: This is the police station behind the scenes
Just a few meters behind the changing rooms of EHC Red Bull München and FC Bayern Basketball, the paths diverge. While the playing field and the glitz of the spotlight beckon on one side, a corridor leads to a less visible world on the other. There, hidden behind numerous logistical aids and equipment carts, is an inconspicuous white door marked “POLICE.” Behind it lies a place that all spectators at SAP Garden would do well to avoid.
While professionals are sent to the penalty box or have to leave the playing field for fouls or rule violations on the main playing field, spectators also face consequences if they do not follow the rules. Behind the door, troublemakers are met by a police station set up specifically for the SAP Garden, with prison cells, interrogation rooms, and computers for quick and efficient handling of incidents.
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These are the dressing rooms of EHC Red Bull Munich and FC Bayern Basketball
In extreme cases, this means detention in one of the stadium's own cells for rule breakers. These cells are stark, bare, and minimally furnished with metal furniture—a place no one would willingly enter. Massive metal bars block any means of escape.
Since opening in September 2024, the police have had to intervene several times at SAP Garden, although such incidents remain fortunately rare given the more than 600,000 visitors (as of May 25, 2025) from ice hockey, basketball, and numerous third-party events such as the “Beckenbauer Cup” soccer legends tournament. The offenses mainly include insults, damage to property, and occasional minor bodily harm. According to police information, stays do not usually last long because the perpetrators are quickly transferred to the nearby police station in Ettstraße for further processing after their personal details have been taken. Depending on the situation and the offense, however, the stay in the cells can also last several hours.
To ensure the safety of guests and to deal with such situations quickly, the police also have a strategic operations center high up on the second level of the SAP Garden, close to the fan curve. This command center comprises several workstations with state-of-the-art computer and video technology, giving officers access to over 130 cameras throughout the arena. This enables potential problems to be identified at an early stage and responded to immediately. Together with the approximately 160 employees of Securitas, Germany's largest private security service provider, the police ensure a safe and enjoyable event experience.
The SAP Garden, together with the Munich police, relies on proven concepts from large sports venues and the Oktoberfest, where such facilities are also used successfully. At the SAP Garden, exciting sports and the fan experience are always at the forefront – but if necessary, order is quickly restored. Or to put it another way: a little bit of hell so that heaven remains the most important thing at the SAP Garden, the palace of dreams.
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