Crack down on gangs at Glasto

[musky]

Report in The Independant on a planned crack down on gangs of thieves at Glasto and other festivals this year.

Increased cooperation between security and police, as well as a way of reporting thefts via text (courtesy of Orange). Got to be a good thing.

[Laura_Babs]

Sounds good. ANything to reduce crime has to be good!

[refriedgenes]

If the gangs are down on crack, the surely that'll mean more thieving...

Seriously though, I think that's a sound idea.

[travelling mr pastry]

sounds good, thats the way festivals should be policed

[musky]

I'm particularly liking the way witnesses can text any crime to security. Someone was saying on here the other day that too many people just go back to sleep after someone tries to get into their tent at night. This way we'll be able to report the thieves who go from tent to tent while claiming to be looking for someone without getting out of our sleeping bags.

[kevtamuk]

When we were at Womad last year somebody told us that there had been one particular gang that was responsible for the majority of festival theft. He said they had been caught after a police sting operation at a festival (after Glastonbury) and that they were anticipating very few problems at Womad.

Hopefully he was right and it will a relatively crime free Glastonbury.

Kev

[refriedgenes]

Thinking about it, because of this initiative, I reckon the official crime rate for Glasto will go up, as more crimes will get reported via text. In reality though, will the securities and police be able to do much more about it? Unless those reporting by text can be as detailed and as accurate as possible, just saying "There's been an attempted tent theft in Pennards'. It's a blue tent, next to a green one..." could take a while to investigate.

I still agree with it though.

[cejx]

Thinking about it, because of this initiative, I reckon the official crime rate for Glasto will go up, as more crimes will get reported via text. In reality though, will the securities and police be able to do much more about it? Unless those reporting by text can be as detailed and as accurate as possible, just saying "There's been an attempted tent theft in Pennards'. It's a blue tent, next to a green one..." could take a while to investigate.

I still agree with it though.

[Sam Crawley]

Thinking about it, because of this initiative, I reckon the official crime rate for Glasto will go up, as more crimes will get reported via text. In reality though, will the securities and police be able to do much more about it? Unless those reporting by text can be as detailed and as accurate as possible, just saying "There's been an attempted tent theft in Pennards'. It's a blue tent, next to a green one..." could take a while to investigate.

I still agree with it though.

[refriedgenes]

They could do with publishing a stock message where you insert your own details, so they know where, when, what, who...

Like, North end of Williams Field, near the taps, 3 minutes ago, man in denim jacket - core details that they'd need, to be able to despatch security quickly from a centralised laptop that reads the texts live as they come in. Security have radios - I think it could prove really effective if they work it correctly.

Know what you're saying about the Mail...

[Storm_NL]

Last time (last year) I tried to report something to security, I was told there was nothing they could do about it unless I showed them the criminals actually in the act.

I hope that this, or any, initiative will be welcome progress to the way that crimes are handled on site..

[travelling mr pastry]

excellent ideaa, though it does always amaze me that gangs would go through the whole ball ache of registering, getting a ticket and paying 180 quid!

[cejx]

Drug dealers do, why wouldnt another type of criminal who wants to ply their trade in as easy enough place to ply it as possible...

[Storm_NL]

yeah... s'ppose! A captive market and all that!

[travelling mr pastry]

if a dealer sold me shit id tell the cops, id say that the guy pressured me into buying the stuff and threatened me if i didnt, then id give em the best description i could. f**k the c**t

[Storm_NL]

if a dealer sold me shit id tell the cops, id say that the guy pressured me into buying the stuff and threatened me if i didnt, then id give em the best description i could. f**k the c**t

[bazakin12]

What is the worst camping area for crime.

[mouth]

good idea, what do these people steal though? all thats in my tent is beer, clothes and a bed

[nicktrow]

Good idea with the 'text a crime' thing. Unless they nicked your phone.

[musky]

Good idea with the 'text a crime' thing. Unless they nicked your phone.

[kohoutec]

+ texts sometimes take ages (even days) to arrive during the festival...

[staggerlee]

Good idea with the 'text a crime' thing. Unless they nicked your phone.

[kerplunk]

When we were at Womad last year somebody told us that there had been one particular gang that was responsible for the majority of festival theft. He said they had been caught after a police sting operation at a festival (after Glastonbury) and that they were anticipating very few problems at Womad.

Hopefully he was right and it will a relatively crime free Glastonbury.

Kev

I think they actually bagged the gang you're referring to AT womad last year (on the first day I think) and was the result of intelligence sharing between forces apparently.

[travelling mr pastry]

good idea, what do these people steal though? all thats in my tent is beer, clothes and a bed

Edited June 21, 2009 by travelling mr pastry

[farewellandgoodnight]

Not even a captive market.. it's the nature of the festival beast.

You could stay in "civilisation", and go to all the hassle of breaking into a house..

...or you could pay a little.. go to Glastonbury.. rob tents, which have little or nothing in the way of security, and usually contain small and/or expensive items... a lot easier to abscond with than a DVD player.

...and then you can make your escape into the biggest crowd in the country.

As far as drug dealing goes, you have a demographic at a big festival like Glasto, which more closely resembles that of your clientelle than any other area or gathering in the UK.

...and again.. if you shaft people, you can disappear easily.. and no-one's going to report it..

Oh, I could go on... but I won't, because I'm starting to make it sound like an enticing option for criminals.

It's probably worth mentioning that I do sleep with a 10 inche blade under my sleeping bag.

There's no security like your own Mr Pointy.