Most music festival reports involving Police usually gravitate around ‘X numbers of revellers arrested for Y’, so it’s refreshing to read reports about an officer busting out dance moves at one of Australia’s biggest festivals.
Taking a little time off from her duties policing the 23,000 attendees at the Melbourne Big Day Out last Friday, the unnamed Victorian policewoman was spotted dancing in her full uniform – holstered gun, high-vis, and all – amongst the crowd of hundreds populating the Boiler Room.
Footage of the cop copping a boogie at the dance-happy stage at Flemington Showgrounds eventually turned up online, showing the armed officer complying with the DJ soundtrack’s demand to “put your f#*kin’ hands up” much to the entertainment of those around her.
“She loved it,” Jack Van De Ven, who captured the dancing officer on film, exclaimed to 7 News. “She did a few twirls and had the whole crowd behind her. It was really good.”
Another festival-goer among the attentive audience that shot footage, Alex Perron, tells Herald Sun: “There were two cops on the edge of the tent watching. The female cop began to just have a bit of a boogie, starting off slowly with some foot tapping… we thought it was great of her to get into the spirit of what the Big Day Out is about – enjoying yourself.”
The Police Association Victoria launched an enquiry into the officer’s conduct, but despite risking a departmental slap on the wrists for cutting a rug on duty, questioning has seen Police instead applaud the Big Day Out dance-up, acknowledging the officer was “acting in good faith” by displaying her humane side in a bit of intuitive community engagement.
“The member in our view has taken part in a great public relations exercise,” Police spokesperson Bruce McKenzie says of the online video. “Victoria Police wouldn’t be able to pay for the public relations that this member has displayed at no cost to the organisation.”
Meanwhile, a Victoria Police report shows that a sniffer dog operation at the Melbourne Big Day Out led to 29 people being arrested for drug offences, confiscating ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis. Acting Superintendent Bernie Edwards says Police were generally pleased with the conduct of festival-goers, with arrests down from last year, but still unhappy with the fraction of people that continue to conduct illegal activities.
“It will remain a focus for police to attend these sorts of music events in an attempt to minimise the risk to those using illicit drugs,” said Mr Edwards.
The Big Day Out 2014 lineup, featuring co-headliners Pearl Jam and Arcade Fire, Snoop Dogg, Beady Eye, The Hives, Deftones, Flume, Tame Impala and more, rolls into its new Adelaide home at Bonython Park this Friday 31st January, before heading to its final date in Western Australia.
The Perth Big Day Out is to be held at Arena Joondalup following a last-minute venue change from the RAS Showgrounds following ongoing antagonism from local Claremont Council towards the festival over its scheduled 10pm curfew. Big Day Out promoter AJ Maddah is looking to move next month’s Soundwave Festival away from Claremont Showgrounds to Joondalup, while predicting that local government and council grievances could mean “there will be zero festivals going to WA in 2015.”
Check out our Big Day Out 2014 coverage, and info for the remaining Adelaide and Perth legs, below.
Big Day Out 2014
Gold Coast: REVIEW | PHOTOS
Melbourne: REVIEW | PHOTOS
Sydney: REVIEW | PHOTOS
Big Day Out 2014 Set Times – Adelaide
Friday 31st January ~ Bonython Park
View/download the Adelaide Map here
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Big Day Out 2014 Set Times – Perth
Sunday 2nd February ~ Arena Joondalup
An updated Perth Map is yet to be finalised. Stay tuned to bigdayout.com/perth/perth-maps-times for details.
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Big Day Out 2014 Dates, Tickets
Friday 17th January ~ Western Springs, Auckland*
Sunday 19th January ~ Metricon Stadium & Carrara Parklands, Gold Coast
Friday 24th January ~ Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Sunday 26th January ~ Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney
Friday 31st January ~ Bonython Park, Adelaide**
Sunday 2nd February ~ Claremont Showgrounds, Perth**
Tickets and info at www.bigdayout.com
