Tent Robbers

[Medina]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread since I started it a couple of weeks ago.

There have been some great contributions and some really good ideas and sensible advice for both campers and festival organisers.

I know several of the latter have been following this thread and the issues raised are likely to be discussed at the annual conference of the Association of Festival Organisers later this autumn.

Hopefully they'll also come up with some ideas for making festival campsites safer.

Various police forces are also liaising on the issues raised - the police who cover the Homelands / Hi Fi Festivals at Mattingley Bowl near Winchester told me last week that they've found plain clothes patrols on foot and uniformed patrols on bikes to be effective both at deterring would-be tent robbers and responding swiftly to reports of robberies.

Please keep the ideas coming.

I wonder what will happen at Reading & Leeds this weekend?

[5co77ie]

I've been thinking about this and have the solution, well i don't the big bad boys Live Nation do.

There were plans at Download this year to introduce the Download Dollar - as far as i know it's been shelved. But it is a solution - some form of hard to fake paper 'monopoly' money that can be used anywhere on site. Most gangs are just after cash, take away the cash - some form of exchange system on entry and it's no good to them.

If a group of festival organisers can get together and make these tokens the same then if you don't spend them all you can use them up at other festivals.

You make the tokens redeemable to vendors for real cash again but put a cap on the amount unspent by punters allowed to be exchanged back.

It's the only solution i can see that will irradicate the thieves.

[stoopidbird]

The only deterrent i can think of which worked well at Glastonbury before the superfence where the 'honeytrap' tents set up by police - when they announced they had them in the campsites crime figures fell that year and they caught lots of thieves too - they got a couple of gangs in Pennards vtoo that year.

What exactly do "honeytrap" tents involve - how do they work?

[Neil]

I've been thinking about this and have the solution, well i don't the big bad boys Live Nation do.

There were plans at Download this year to introduce the Download Dollar - as far as i know it's been shelved. But it is a solution - some form of hard to fake paper 'monopoly' money that can be used anywhere on site. Most gangs are just after cash, take away the cash - some form of exchange system on entry and it's no good to them.

If a group of festival organisers can get together and make these tokens the same then if you don't spend them all you can use them up at other festivals.

You make the tokens redeemable to vendors for real cash again but put a cap on the amount unspent by punters allowed to be exchanged back.

It's the only solution i can see that will irradicate the thieves.

as discussed in the the other thread here, there's no advantages for the festival goer with any 'alternative money' scheme.

[HurrahBrother]

What exactly do "honeytrap" tents involve - how do they work?

I assume some sort of tent with tempting kit strewn inside, and some form of alarm system so the rozzers know when someone is raiding it. so they can suddenly appear and pounce when someone tries to nick stuff from it. After that, its bag em and tag em and off to the cells.

[Fat Fred's Cat]

Any news from Reading or Leeds?

Especially after all the thefts from tents at the Reading WOMAD this year.

[Neil]

Any news from Reading or Leeds?

Especially after all the thefts from tents at the Reading WOMAD this year.

from the few things I've heard it seems that crime wasn't too bad, but it also seems to be the case that the police were more pro-active than they are normally about tent crime.

There were 511 reported crimes (120 less than in 2005), and 83 arrests (same as 2005). The majority of crimes were for thefts from tents and possession of cannabis.

[Grimmy]

This is a serious point, if I was to wake up in the night at Reading, find two blokes going through my stuff, would I be legally entitled to whack them with the closest object to hand i.e my mallet? Or would I have to say I thought they were going to rape my girlfriend/ knife me etc?

It depends on the circumstances:

If they are trying to commit a criminal act you are allowed to use such force upon them as is reasonable as to capture/deter them, reasonable is then determined by the jury.

If you think that they are trying to commit a criminal act but in reality they are not you are also allowed to use the same reasonable force upon them as long as you honestly (honest doesn't neccessarily have to be reasonable as the jury are asked to take into account that you would not have time to weigh things to a nicety, although in this case it probably would be reasonable too) believed at the time that they were trying to commit a criminal act.

If you are voluntarily intoxicated (i.e drink or drugs) and you think they are trying to commit a criminal act but they are not you will be held liable for your actions, but if they really are then you are still allowed to use reasonable force.

I hope this clears it up.

[eFestivals]

read this to help keep your things safe!!!

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/08/080604h.shtml

Edited August 5, 2014 by eFestivals

[Amazing Beef]

What I found works really well is getting a pair of old white knickers/pants then tea staining and/or painting them to look really disgusting and tieing them to my zips, and also if i leave my bags in my tent at day i tie them to my bag straps.

I figured this would work as there are hundreds of tents, and hundreds of oppertunities. no person, even a thief will touch zips with those on. and they won't feel compelled to do it anyway due to a lack of other targets as there are so many other tents.

[solitaire]

The most important thing is to use the lock ups provided at any festival you go to.

Don't take anything that you don't really want to lose.

Keep money or other valuables on your person.

Get to know the people pitched beside you.

Commonsense 1 ,the most overlooked priority when looking after your stuff.Don't put a padlock on your tent,Don't put all your stuff into a rucksack[makes it easier to carry away your stuff],scatter around the tent bits and bobs.If you hear someone fiddling around your tent at night scream,and shout for help,better to be safe than sorry[although please try and remember that you may have your mate with you who is coming in later then you,ask his/her name,if no answer scream and shout.]Some thieves use torches to temporarily blind/disorientate you by shining it in your eyes,return the compliment and sleep with your torch beside your hand providing you hav'nt had it nicked.

Commonsense 2

What I have also observed or heard is this;some thieves send their cronies around go up to a couple of peeps and say 'gosh that is a nice tent,where did you get it?,can I have a look inside? this is called casing a joint,if a bystander was walking past your home and said can I take a look inside, no matter how friendly they were you would probably say NO.The second method is this,send some young innocent looking teenagers around a site with mobile phones and get them to take photos on their phones and send them back to the actual thieves[a form of casing the joint].Why would a complete stranger want to take a photo of your low budget tent.

But please remember that the majority of festival goers are not thieves,you may get the odd wasted festival goer lost and totally trolleyed,I met a new and good friend in a situation like this whose name is not Dave by the way.The majority of people from Liverpool in my experience will defend your tent and stuff with an animal fury,thanks to a different Dave [i'm not from liverpool]

On a side note, many many years ago we pitched our tent beside a lad we had met before at a previous party, who spent the entire festival guarding his tent with a machete in his hand, which was fine until the second night when on returning to our tent it took us two hours reassuring him that it was us and could he please let us go into our own tents. and who says the drugs were'nt as strong in those days.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

On a plus side, I must add that alot of the security companies are really switched onto organised gangs this year, and taking positve acion.

[BT Rich]

Happy to say we didnt have one tent theft reported and only had one person thrown off site all weekend.

[Thatmax]

I say that anyone caught tent robbing should be blacklisted for life from all festivals big and small, as well as charged to the full extent of the law to show that stealing from a tent is just as bad as anywhere else.

[Medina]

On a plus side, I must add that alot of the security companies are really switched onto organised gangs this year, and taking positve acion.

Yes - and quite a few festival organisers have pooled their knowledge and experience as have the police and other interested parties to ensure effective procedures are in place to greatly reduce this problem and greatly increase the chances of tent robbers being caught and dealt with (in an appropriate fashion of course )

[rexclark]

Yes - and quite a few festival organisers have pooled their knowledge and experience as have the police and other interested parties to ensure effective procedures are in place to greatly reduce this problem and greatly increase the chances of tent robbers being caught and dealt with (in an appropriate fashion of course )

Jim King (Rockness organiser/Loudsound) mentioned this in his webchat on the Rockness forum. I never leave anything t6o chance but it is good to see organisers are taking note and making progress.

[Paul ™]

Jim King (Rockness organiser/Loudsound) mentioned this in his webchat on the Rockness forum. I never leave anything t6o chance but it is good to see organisers are taking note and making progress.

This is one of the reasons the AIF was started by Rob Da Bank and others

http://www.aiforg.com/about_us.php

[boarderwoozel3]

Hello all, does anyone have any insight as to camping security and theft at Pukkelpop? I'm coming over from the states for my first European Festival and any tips would be greatly appreciated. It seems like theft is a bigger problem than at Coachella, Sasquatch or Bonnaroo.

Locking yourself inside your tent at night and attaching a bell for all hours sound like very good ideas. I definitely plan on using any locker service provided and will probably carry my valuables in a backpack on my person.

Thanks.

[Thatmax]

Hello all, does anyone have any insight as to camping security and theft at Pukkelpop? I'm coming over from the states for my first European Festival and any tips would be greatly appreciated. It seems like theft is a bigger problem than at Coachella, Sasquatch or Bonnaroo.

Locking yourself inside your tent at night and attaching a bell for all hours sound like very good ideas. I definitely plan on using any locker service provided and will probably carry my valuables in a backpack on my person.

Thanks.

- Keep anything small thats of value at the bottom of your sleeping bag.

- Make friends with your neighbours so they know who you are and that its your tent.

- But also don't worry too much, Iv never been tent robbed, even when I brought my huge stereo to Reading and left it in bang in the middle of my tent each night.

[abu hamster]

My tent has a large entrance hall. I use foil as a matting so if someone wants to get to me or my stuff they make a noise doing it.

I also have a weight that is held up by a bit of string. the drops is the door zip is oppened making a noise.

Rule 1 Dont take anything nice!

Rule 2 Any thing of value at the bottom of the sleeping bag or secured on you.

Rule 3 Theives wil always go for the eas opportunities, dont leave beer in its boxrip the box open spread the eers on the floor, spread a;; your stuff all over the tent, Having a tidy tent will aways help the scum.

Rule 4 Have a good time dont spend your life worrying youve paid your money have fun!

Shit happens limit the damage.

[Karlhippy]

I walked back to the tent at Glasto around 7am on the sun morning and my tent door was open. Nothing was nicked as I had all my valuables on me. But for 5 mins i was quite pissed off!

[SarahNatBenAmy]

I walked back to the tent at Glasto around 7am on the sun morning and my tent door was open. Nothing was nicked as I had all my valuables on me. But for 5 mins i was quite pissed off!

have been robbed twice while sleeping in my tent at glasto!! never got my money or small vauables but had camera,stereo,booze even 4 mars bars must be hungery work, on the 2nd year they took my orbital style torch glasses and i woke got out my tent went and found them in some 1 elses tent and demanded them back, and they handed,later on reflection i realised i could of had a right pasting from them. i lock my tent with a padlock now and wear a money belt witch i sleep with and my phone !!!!!!!

Edited July 8, 2009 by SarahNatBenAmy

[eFestivals]

i lock my tent with a padlock now

I'm not sure that's a good idea.

If I were a thieving scumbag, I'd take the padlock as meaning there's something worth having inside the tent. A quick slash with a knife and I'm in - and then you've also lost your tent.

[SarahNatBenAmy]

I'm not sure that's a good idea.

If I were a thieving scumbag, I'd take the padlock as meaning there's something worth having inside the tent. A quick slash with a knife and I'm in - and then you've also lost your tent.

yes its hard to know wot to do for the best?? having woke up with some 1 already in the tent with you like other people on this forum have experienced its frightning enough now with 2 kids in there own pods in the tent, them having the same experience is not a comfortable thought!! they did share a pod last year but the lad is 15 now and wants his own pod! could try the bell trick, has this worked for anyone ??

[the sausage]

We spent the weekend at Square Fest in Wales. The head of stewards told us that a led team of tent robbers were systematically robbing tents. They had two-way radios and the head scumbag was listening to security on one channel then accordingly instructing his team which areas to rob on another channel depending on how security were responding. Apparently they were running security ragged.

Luckily we didnt get hit. People need to realise that a festival is just a microcosm of society, there'll always be scum who see others as soft targets.