Splendour In The Grass 2016 / Photo: Maria Boyadgis

Police Are Pretty Stoked With Your Behaviour At Splendour In The Grass

Not that many of you are going to be awake or functional enough right now to even process it, but NSW Police are pretty chuffed with punter behaviour at Splendour In The Grass over the weekend, today praising the majority of the 33,500-odd in attendance, including the 17,500 campers.

There were, however, a minority of people nabbed by the ‘high visibility police operation’ that lasted from Wednesday, 20th July over 5 days, for an array of nefarious activities. 323 people – less than 1% of those in attendance – were caught with illegal substances by sniffer dogs. Of that, 80 were cannabis cautions with 5 people charged with drug supply.

Meanwhile, one festival-goer was caught trying to gain access without a ticket while in possession of MDMA.

The operation also issued a number of licensing infringements, BUT all that said, Detective Superintendent Wayne Starling is stoked with bulk of ticket-holders.

“Once again police worked closely with Splendour organisers to ensure a safe and enjoyable festival, so it was positive to see that the majority of attendees heeded police warnings and behaved themselves,” Det Supt Starling said.

As it turns out, punters weren’t afraid to show their appreciation on the damn spot.

“Our officers were even approached by music fans who thanked them for being there to keep everyone safe – it was tremendous to see such great support from the event community.”

While they were the minority, Det Supt Starling had stern words for those who were caught doing the wrong thing, as well as those not caught who plan on doing it again.

“Unfortunately, there were some who ignored our advice and attempted to bring prohibited drugs into the festival; however, they were quickly intercepted by our drug-detection dogs,” Det Supt Starling said. “We cannot reiterate enough how dangerous these substances can be; they are not only illegal but they can incredibly harmful to your health and, tragically at times, fatal.”

“I can assure members of the public that moving forward we will continue to target those who attempt to supply prohibited to other individuals – their behaviour simply will not be tolerated. In many cases, charges were laid against those who chose to do the wrong thing and they will now be brought before the courts to address those offences.

“We were not there to spoil the fun, but those who choose to break the law or threaten the safety of other festival goers will be stopped in their tracks and dealt with accordingly.”

This means there should be some good vibes in the community for the event, which has promised it will return next year but after thatmight need a new home.

So there you have it. You did well, most people and should be bloody proud. Well, you will be. When you wake up.

Gallery: Splendour In The Grass 2016 – The Best Of You / Photos: Maria Boyadgis

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