Effective teamwork between festival organisers and partner agencies has ensured festival-goers have continued to stay safe at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival.
A detailed policing operation was put in place to ensure the safety of festival-goers and the local community, in what is one of the busiest weeks of the year on the island. As a result, this year’s event once again experienced relatively low levels of crime, which are consistent with previous years and reflect the atmosphere of the relaxed, family-friendly festival.
Initial figures suggest that the number of overall offences during the 4-day Isle of Wight Festival 2016 were 85, compared to 117 last year (2015) and 124 in 2014.
Officers and staff from across the force have worked together from the planning stages and throughout the festival, to keep people safe from harm. Officers have patrolled the outskirts of the festival, engaging with the public to provide safety messages and reassurance, as well as to tackle crime.
Isle of Wight Festival policing commander C/Insp Simon Dodds said:
“This year’s Isle of Wight Festival has been a low-crime and safe event thanks to the good-natured attitude of the vast majority of festival-goers.
“Working closely with partner agencies and organisers through the event’s Safety Advisory Group is vital to ensure a successful operation; the outcome we’ve achieved together has been one which has helped keep both festival-goers and local residents safe.
“Following new legislation surrounding so-called legal highs, I am also pleased to say there was very little evidence of their use at the festival and no related arrests.”
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4 men were arrested at the weekend in relation to thefts from tents in the camping areas.
