Game day violence is a major concern for NFL fans. It’s an issue that has been rapidly increasing.
According to a survey by Sportsbook Review, nearly 40% of NFL fans surveyed have witnessed a crime at or around an NFL stadium, including physical violence and public intoxication.
The survey also found that 45% of women don’t feel safe attending an NFL game alone and that 77% of parents wouldn’t allow their children to attend a game without a chaperone.
A new-published study by Bryant Baucom revealed that Acrisure Stadium ranks as the 10th-safest NFL stadium, with 36.03 crimes per 1,000 residents. The study includes both inside and outside stadiums.
Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, is the safest stadium in the NFL with just 9.36 crimes per 1,000 residents in the stadium’s zip code, while Empower Field at MileHigh in Denver has the highest local crime with 74.14 crimes per 1,000 residents in the stadium’s zip code.
The study also disclosed that 43% of NFL fans have witnessed a physical or verbal altercation at an NFL stadium. SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was voted the league’s most dangerous stadium, with over 65% of attendees reporting violent incidents.
In 2022, a fan died at Acrisure Stadium. It was ruled an accidental death. Dalton Keane, a 27-year-old Monaca native died on Oct. 2 when he fell 40 feet from an escalator as he and other fans were exiting Acrisure Stadium near Gate C after the Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the New York Jets. Keane was transported by ambulance to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Keane is believed to be the first fan to die at the stadium in its 21-year history. In 2016, a Baldwin man suffered a head injury in a fight with a Dallas Cowboys fan and later died at his home.
In 2023, a Georgia man was charged after police said he hit people with a towel at the Steeler-Jaguars game and was thrown out of Acrisure Stadium twice. Police said they found Bryant and escorted him out of the stadium. He was given an official notice of ejection and was told he wasn’t allowed back in.