Another Australian music festival, another joint operation drug blitz from the local coppers. Only this time around, the police can’t even front like the whole thing wasn’t a tremendous waste of resources, which isn’t to say they aren’t trying.
As The Queensland Times reports, a huge police operation targeted drug use at this past weekend’s Earth Frequency Festival at Ivory Rock, but came up seriously short when they only managed to charge a few dozen people with offences.
How big was the operation? According to the Queensland Times, it involved officers from Harrisville Police, the Roadside Drug Testing Unit, Road Policing Task Force, Ipswich Road Policing Command, Ipswich Tactical Crime Squad, Brisbane Dog Squad, and officers from across Ipswich District.
This fellowship of police badassery targeted the more than 5,000 punters who attended the four-day event, charging a total of 57 people. Yep, just 57, and that’s after the police performed roadside breath tests on 2,500 people, or half the festival.
A total of 31 people were charged with drug possession, 12 with possessing drug paraphernalia, and one with supplying drugs. According to the QT‘s Peter Chapman, no drivers were found to be above the alcohol limit and 27 tested positive for drugs.
However, it’s important to note that these 27 tested positive for having traces of drugs in their systems, which does not necessarily imply any kind of impairment. For example, a driver can test positive after having ingested a substance days before.
“If they had conducted the same level of testing on the Ipswich Motorway on a Saturday night there is no doubt the numbers would have been higher,” Chapman wrote, whilst Earth Frequency organiser Paul Adad said he welcomed the police operation.
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According to Adad, police informed him that eight of the motorists who were caught drug driving were local residents. “We do everything we can to inform our patrons what the festival is about and what is acceptable,” he said.
Harrisville Police officer in charge Sergeant Matthew Thomson said the results of the roadside tests are of “significant concern to our community”, adding, “The effects of driving whilst under the influence of drugs can severely impact the ability of the driver.”
Other charges police laid down included driving whilst unlicensed or disqualified, driving unregistered or uninsured vehicles, as well as charged for speeding, using mobile phones whilst driving, and driving defective vehicles.
All in all, money well spent.
