Avon and Somerset Constabulary: Information and advice ahead of Glastonbury Festival

[Neil]

file:///C:/Users/Neil/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg

 

17 June 2022 For immediate release

Information and advice ahead of Glastonbury Festival

 

Ahead of Glastonbury Festival's return next week we’re issuing advice to ticket holders and local residents. As in previous years, we’ve worked closely with festival organisers and the local authority to prepare for the event and we’ll once again be carrying out a neighbourhood-style policing operation to ensure it is safe for everyone attending and those who live nearby. This will involve regular visible patrols of the site by uniformed officers, officers on horseback and officers on bicycles. Festival-goers are encouraged to approach all our officers – they will be happy to stop and have a chat and will, once again, be giving out thousands of our mobile phone pouches. They will also be providing advice, support and information on our @policeatglasto Twitter and Instagram accounts in the run up to, during and after the festival. Ahead of this year’s event, we want those attending to be familiar with the following safety advice: Arrive early for extra security measures. This will help prevent delays getting in. Be patient with security checks and don’t give security, staff or stewards a hard time. It might seem inconvenient, but these measures are in place to help you. It is essential you don’t bring unnecessary items to the event. A suggested packing list can be found on Glastonbury Festival’s website along with a list of prohibited items, such as lasers, fireworks and drones. Packing light will also help to speed up searches and your entry to the event. If at any point you believe your own or someone else’s drink has been tampered with alert security or a police officer and seek medical advice either by calling the NHS’ non-emergency number 111 or by visiting one of the on-site medical facilities. Adding a substance to someone’s drink without their knowledge or permission is a serious offence and could result in serious harm if the person suffers an adverse reaction. If you spot someone acting suspiciously, report it to a police officer or to a member of security staff immediately. Don’t leave it to someone else. If you see something on social media that concerns you, report it. In an emergency, always call 999 and look around you for help from staff – especially those with radios who can raise the alarm quickly. Don’t leave bags unattended or anywhere they could cause a security scare. And never agree to look after anyone else’s bags, no matter how genuine they seem. If there is an incident, listen to staff and any announcements. Festival organisers have emergency plans to help you keep safe. Remember, the chance of being caught in a terrorism incident is small. But if it happens – Run, Hide, Tell. To enhance security, we will also be carrying out Project Servator deployments in and around the festival site. There is no intelligence to indicate an increased threat to Glastonbury 2022 or any other festival or music event taking place this summer. However, as we did during the last festival in 2019, we will again be supporting Counter Terrorism Policing’s #BeSafeBeSound campaign on Twitter and Instagram. If a crime is in progress or there is a threat of immediate danger people should call 999. To report non emergencies they can call 101 or report online using our dedicated report crime at Glastonbury form. Policing of the event does not start and stop on the festival site. We, along with the local council and the festival, will have representatives at Pilton Village Hall throughout the event for local people to speak to should they have any concerns or worries. With more than 200,000 people at the event each day, we do not underestimate the impact the festival might have on the local community and so officers and security staff will be patrolling on all of the routes to the site to ensure festival-goers have a safe trip and that local residents are disturbed as little as possible. More information and advice on travelling to and from the event, personal property and how we police drugs at the festival can be found on the dedicated Glastonbury Festival page of our website.

NOTE TO EDITORS Please contact press officer Sam Malone with any media enquiries relating to Glastonbury Festival - sam.malone@avonandsomerset.police.uk.

[tarw]

Project Servator?

Am I being overly suspicious that this is using the threat of terrorism as an excuse for heavy handed policing?

[Neil]

2 minutes ago, tarw said:

Project Servator?

Am I being overly suspicious that this is using the threat of terrorism as an excuse for heavy handed policing?

heavy handed policing from the old bill, who'd have thought it?

 

 

[chazwwe]

So outside of more talks about drink spiking, nothing much has changed since 2019. Am fine with that. 

[tarw]

4 minutes ago, Neil said:

heavy handed policing from the old bill, who'd have thought it?

 

 

Do you think it’s just bluster to keep the local lock em all up brigade happy or do you think that we’ll see a change in policing style this year?

[tarw]

2 minutes ago, chazwwe said:

So outside of more talks about drink spiking, nothing much has changed since 2019. Am fine with that. 

Have you read the link about project servator?

[chazwwe]

10 minutes ago, tarw said:

Have you read the link about project servator?

Yes, and I did and watched the video in 2019 when they started it.

- June 2019. 

 

[bucko]

I wouldn't worry too much and can't see much changing that we would notice.

The anti-terrorism measures have been in place for the last few festivals and its hard to notice them but they are in place to react if the worst ever happened.

[Twiggy553]

I’ve got a mate who became a rozzer in later life, actually a sound guy and not green around the gills like the young recruits.

One of the most enlightening things he told me is that this new trend of people filming every interaction with the police makes it really bloody hard for him to let people off with minor things like possession of small amounts of drugs.

[tarw]

14 minutes ago, chazwwe said:

Yes, and I did and watched the video in 2019 when they started it.

- June 2019. 

 

Sorry I thought this was a new thing. Same as you were then

[Rufus Gwertigan]

37 minutes ago, Neil said:

heavy handed policing from the old bill, who'd have thought it?

 

 

To be fair I have always found the policing and security to be fair at Glastonbury. Ok there always will be a few dickheads but most use common sense. I am a little biased as I have worked the gates on security and done the searches in the CV field. 

I remember a friend at BD getting caught with a couple of pills and the security and later the bill pushed it and she got a 100 quid fine and lost her job as a teaching assistant. FFS.

[Leyrulion]

1 hour ago, tarw said:

Project Servator?

Am I being overly suspicious that this is using the threat of terrorism as an excuse for heavy handed policing?

I think it just means expect to see armed cops around the site. Can't remember if I've seen any before, will be a bit of a shock bouncing around and wondering past a machine gun.

[Alvoram]

44 minutes ago, Twiggy553 said:

I’ve got a mate who became a rozzer in later life, actually a sound guy and not green around the gills like the young recruits.

One of the most enlightening things he told me is that this new trend of people filming every interaction with the police makes it really bloody hard for him to let people off with minor things like possession of small amounts of drugs.

I mean, that should be fairly obvious... If people want to start going around and 'auditing the police.' Then they have to do their jobs properly in every way, not just the ways that suit us. 

[moogster]

Should send this to my mother. Although I am a middle aged woman who's been extensively travelling around the world, often alone, and have done dozens of festivals, and a few Glastonburys, she keeps on saying I'm going to get mugged or something...

[jalien01]

8 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

I think it just means expect to see armed cops around the site. Can't remember if I've seen any before, will be a bit of a shock bouncing around and wondering past a machine gun.

Are you being sarcastic? There is 100% no way that armed police will be patrolling the site. At the very most they may have a couple of armed officers stationed at the on-site police compound but visible armed officers around the festival. Absolutely no way is this going to happen. 

[Leyrulion]

1 minute ago, jalien01 said:

Are you being sarcastic? There is 100% no way that armed police will be patrolling the site. At the very most they may have a couple of armed officers stationed at the on-site police compound but visible armed officers around the festival. Absolutely no way is this going to happen. 

I meant gates rather than the middle of the greenfields. But wasn't being sarcastic, they'll have them at more points than just the station for response time reasons and the reference to project servator suggests they may well be visible. Hence the article, telling people not to be surprised.

[jalien01]

3 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

I meant gates rather than the middle of the greenfields. But wasn't being sarcastic, they'll have them at more points than just the station for response time reasons and the reference to project servator suggests they may well be visible. Hence the article, telling people not to be surprised.

If you see a copper with a machine gun at Glastonbury this year. Take a photo and respond to this post. I’ll apologise and buy you and a friend a cider. I would be extremely shocked if anyone sees one. 

[Leyrulion]

2 minutes ago, jalien01 said:

If you see a copper with a machine gun at Glastonbury this year. Take a photo and respond to this post. I’ll apologise and buy you and a friend a cider. I would be extremely shocked if anyone sees one. 

Yeah I'm just reading more into it and unhelpfully it seems Avon and Somerset's version of project Servator is different to the GMP version, and I'd assumed they were similar. So yeah your right, visible armed cops unlikely.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

22 minutes ago, jalien01 said:

Are you being sarcastic? There is 100% no way that armed police will be patrolling the site. At the very most they may have a couple of armed officers stationed at the on-site police compound but visible armed officers around the festival. Absolutely no way is this going to happen. 

I can envisage armed response been close at hand if not in the police compound. As Leyruion says things are a little different with the GMP and Avon may well do things on the QT.

[Jay Pee]

I like the horse's. They look great with the flower Garlands.

I also enjoyed watching the chap walk past me near the cider bus on Sunday morning wearing only a sock on his cock as I walked alongside two police.  We all just looked at each other and chuckled. Glastonbury moment.

Cut then some slack. We do need them at times. Well I think we do. That doesn't make me Norman Tebbit (one for the youngsters)

[jalien01]

8 minutes ago, Rufus Gwertigan said:

I can envisage armed response been close at hand if not in the police compound. As Leyruion says things are a little different with the GMP and Avon may well do things on the QT.

I agree, there may be a couple of tooled up officers on duty in the compound but armed units visible to the public. Absolutely no chance. 

[jalien01]

3 minutes ago, Jay Pee said:

I like the horse's. They look great with the flower Garlands.

I also enjoyed watching the chap walk past me near the cider bus on Sunday morning wearing only a sock on his cock as I walked alongside two police.  We all just looked at each other and chuckled. Glastonbury moment.

Cut then some slack. We do need them at times. Well I think we do. That doesn't make me Norman Tebbit (one for the youngsters)

I think it was 2008 that I saw police telling a naked old hippy dude that he couldn’t continue to walk around naked. And he needed to put clothes on right away or he’d be arrested. I suppose it’s a double edged issue here that indecent exposure laws still exist inside the festival and also with all the kids about it’s a bit dodgy but on the flip Glasto is supposed to be the place where you can  shed the shackles of everyday norms and be yourself. Tricky one to call. 

[benc]

After the Manchester bombings, etc.. it would be negligent if there wasn’t a rapid response team on hand / planned for.. and you’d assume quickest entry is via air. So, agree… not need for armed offices on site.

[Monkey for festivals]

22 minutes ago, Jay Pee said:

I like the horse's. They look great with the flower Garlands.

I also enjoyed watching the chap walk past me near the cider bus on Sunday morning wearing only a sock on his cock as I walked alongside two police.  We all just looked at each other and chuckled. Glastonbury moment.

Cut then some slack. We do need them at times. Well I think we do. That doesn't make me Norman Tebbit (one for the youngsters)

I was the guy in the sock 🤣 , I remember seeing the policeman 👮‍♂️ 👮‍♂️ they just laughed 

[Jay Pee]

Just now, Monkey for festivals said:

I was the guy in the sock 🤣 , I remember seeing the policeman 👮‍♂️ 👮‍♂️ they just laughed 

That is so funny mate. Brilliant.

I must say, you carried it off way better than I could! Cap doffed sir