Police plan for Splendour: Unless they find drugs on you, you’re in

POLICE will be out in force for the annual Splendour in the Grass, but won’t take the tough approach they have at recent festivals.

Police and a sniffer dog work at last year’s Splendour in the Grass festival. Picture: Nigel Hallett

IT will take more than a “sit” by a sniffer dog to get hopeful punters denied entry to this weekend’s Splendour in the Grass music festival.

While police have warned they’ll be highly visible, and out in force with sniffer dogs, targeting illegal drugs at the event, Tweed-Byron police Chief Inspector Gary Cowan said police won’t be denying entry to fans when they do not find drugs on them.

“If you want to bring drugs onto the site rest assured if you get detected with drugs you’ll have your ticket ripped up and you won’t be coming to the event,” he told a press conference according to Triple J Hack.

Asked what he meant by ‘detecting’ — whether that meant police finding drugs, or just the sniffer dog sitting down to indicate it had detected signs of drugs — Chief Inspector Cowan replied: “No, finding them.”

“You actually have to have drugs on you for us to take any action.”

That hasn’t been the case at other festivals, with police in recent months denying some festival goers entry even if they weren’t found in possession of drugs.

In June, ahead of the Above & Beyond Festival in Sydney, police warned they would “exclude any person from the venue that the drug dog indicates has or who has recently had drugs on them, regardless of whether drugs are located”.

“Quite simply, if you handle or use drugs you will not be permitted to remain at the venue,” said South West Metropolitan Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell.

At May’s Midnight Mafia festival, several punters claimed to have been banned them from entry, despite police finding no drugs on them after a search.

One woman denied entry to Midnight Mafia claimed she was searched, cleared, then “even threatened to be taken to the hospital because they believed I was carrying drugs in internally”.

Security searches a patron at the entrance of last year’s Splendour in the Grass festival. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“Ticket deactivated and told I would be refunded,” she wrote on Facebook.

The patron was told both the police and venue are involved in the controversial policy.

When asked about the decision to not allow people into the event even after a negative result on the strip search, a NSW Police spokeswoman told news.com.au that anyone can be refused entry to a licensed premises if they are “suspected of drugs or alcohol”.

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Meanwhile, police warn they’ll be highly visible across the three days of the Splendour festival, which begins on Friday.

Officers from Tweed/Byron Police District, Northern Region general duties officers, and specialist command support will target illegal drug use and supply, alcohol-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour.

Tweed/Byron Local Area Commander, Detective Superintendent Wayne Starling, said police have been working closely with event organisers and stakeholders to ensure the safety of event staff, performers and music fans throughout the festival.

“Festival-goers who choose to do the wrong thing, risk the safety of other music fans, or bring illegal drugs into the festival can expect to be caught and dealt with accordingly,” Det Supt Starling said.

“Prohibited drugs can be extremely harmful to your health and are potentially life-threatening — particularly when combined with alcohol,” Det Supt Starling said.

Anyone under the influence, or who feels unwell, is urged to seek professional medical attention.

Highway patrol officers will target speeding, drink-and-drug-driving and other dangerous driver behaviour during the festival.

Originally published as Police plan for Splendour: Unless they find drugs on you, you’re in