festival thieving from tents has it dwindled.

[eFestivals]

Which festival dont?

I'm aware of a number over recent years who've publicised that they've had zero crime, but at this precise moment there's only one festival's name I'm 100% certain of having done that.

I'm not going to post that here as this thread isn't really about "my festival is better than your festival" - it's more general than that - but if you really want to know then PM me.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Just reading this thread raises my blood pressure. I've never used the lock ups before, mainly because my wallet and car keys are my most important things and they stay on me at all times. However I might use the lock ups in future to put my car keys and some money in just to be on the safe side. Can also put some gear in there I suppose so that I don't have to carry the lot around with me. I remember it saying on some Glasto advice leaflet 'not to leave any medecines in your tent that you cannot be without'. lol

[rachbon]

Most festival thefts could probably be prevented by people having a bit of common sense.

[thetime]

Most festival thefts could probably be prevented by people having a bit of common sense.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Most festival thefts could probably be prevented by people having a bit of common sense.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Which is why people get robbed... Its like getting pissed, leaving the door unlocked and open with a wallet stuff with £250 on show... Its not going to last long...

[rachbon]

Explain?

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Plus there's the option of staying awake for several days to ensure that you don't get robbed. Not sure that comes under the common sense banner though.

Now here's an evil thought. If you go away from your tent leaving things like jackets inside, you could always put fully armed mouse traps in the pockets. Oh, the joy of smashing their thieving fingers should they riffle your pockets!

[Jaybles]

I saw a pic of some Isle of Wight wristbands this year and they appeared to have NFC on them.

(reading into it they had it last year too)

If that works well and is implemented across the whole festival site then I can see that being the way for most fests. I would be quite happy to use NFC on my wristband to pay for food/beer. The less cash to carry round the better (I'm not concerned with people stealing my cash, just my own ability to lose cash when inebriated)

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I saw a pic of some Isle of Wight wristbands this year and they appeared to have NFC on them.

(reading into it they had it last year too)

If that works well and is implemented across the whole festival site then I can see that being the way for most fests. I would be quite happy to use NFC on my wristband to pay for food/beer. The less cash to carry round the better (I'm not concerned with people stealing my cash, just my own ability to lose cash when inebriated)

[Jaybles]

Spread the cash in as many pockets as you've got. That way you'll do some damage limitation on the amount you can lose in one go.

[thetime]

I already seem to do that. Drunk me likes to leave presents for me to find later on. The glory of the secret fiver you never knew you had is always a great blessing!!

[fred quimby]

Now here's an evil thought. If you go away from your tent leaving things like jackets inside, you could always put fully armed mouse traps in the pockets. Oh, the joy of smashing their thieving fingers should they riffle your pockets!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Nice in Theory. In practice I'd probably come back slightly pickled and decide to wear said jacket

[fred quimby]

That said, you'd be a contender for the Olympics gymnastics team were it to happen, as you gambol and screach your way straight through tents and the like in total agony!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I already seem to do that. Drunk me likes to leave presents for me to find later on. The glory of the secret fiver you never knew you had is always a great blessing!!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Might just do it to friends now and have others giving scores

[TalkShow Bob]

As Neil mentioned there was a particularly prolific ring of professional tent thieves which were responsible for a hell of a lot of the thefts but they have been massively cracked down on/lifted by security and the police.

There is a lot of really good joined up working between all the various promoters and police forces. They do a lot of intelligence work on festival crime these days ie circulating the photos Neil mentioned, keeping an eye on emerging trends and tactics of thieves. This all goes a long way to combat the crime. Obviously it will never be truly irradiated but it’s doing a lot to reduce it.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

As Neil mentioned there was a particularly prolific ring of professional tent thieves which were responsible for a hell of a lot of the thefts but they have been massively cracked down on/lifted by security and the police.

There is a lot of really good joined up working between all the various promoters and police forces. They do a lot of intelligence work on festival crime these days ie circulating the photos Neil mentioned, keeping an eye on emerging trends and tactics of thieves. This all goes a long way to combat the crime. Obviously it will never be truly irradiated but it’s doing a lot to reduce it.

[TalkShow Bob]

Not sure how they can keep an eye on emerging trends and tactics in relation to thefts from tents? Unwanted people get into your tent and steal your stuff. It's that simple.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

When they are hitting tents on an industrial scale its a little more complicated than that.

[eFestivals]

Not sure how they can keep an eye on emerging trends and tactics in relation to thefts from tents? Unwanted people get into your tent and steal your stuff. It's that simple.

if it was just lone individuals doing the robbing, you'd be right.

What's been discovered is that not so many of the robberies are lone individuals. Instead they're often done by organised groups who work in very specific ways.

[eFestivals]

I still can't see how - unless they have more undercover bodies on the ground so to speak.

It's actually pretty easy when you think about it.

The police have identified who many of the individuals are who are part of the robbing groups, and their photos have been circulated. So they're often identified on-site by the police, who are then either able to watch them till they do something wrong so they can nick them, or they can be just removed from the site.

For example: At a particular festival of mid-size about 5 years ago, on the Thursday the old bill nicked a group of people and they were removed from the site (under arrest, I think). Just (I think it was) 3 robberies were reported at that festival that year - with all of those robberies happening prior to that group being removed from site.

It's not the huge numbers of individuals on the rob at festivals that some people think it is (tho that happens sometimes I guess). In the main it's these organised groups.

Edited June 21, 2012 by eFestivals

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

if it was just lone individuals doing the robbing, you'd be right.

What's been discovered is that not so many of the robberies are lone individuals. Instead they're often done by organised groups who work in very specific ways.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

It's actually pretty easy when you think about it.

The police have identified who many of the individuals are who are part of the robbing groups, and their photos have been circulated. So they're often identified on-site by the police, who are then either able to watch them till they do something wrong so they can nick them, or they can be just removed from the site.

For example: At a particular festival of mid-size about 5 years ago, on the Thursday the old bill nicked a group of people and they were removed from the site (under arrest, I think). Just (I think it was) 3 robberies were reported at that festival that year - with all of those robberies happening prior to that group being removed from site.

It's not the huge numbers of individuals on the rob at festivals that some people think it is (tho that happens sometimes I guess). In the main it's these organised groups.