Detecting and Preventing Theft Networks at Music Festivals.

Whilst theft of anything on a festival site is one of the most common crimes reported, organisers need to recognise the difference between opportunistic theft and organised theft networks. How can festival organisers detect and prevent these criminal networks from operating during their events.

Opportunistic theft is common almost anywhere, but a festival site provides more opportunities for thieves because festival-goers could be intoxicated and caught up in the atmosphere making them unaware of risks. Of more concern to organisers are the theft networks who make coordinated attacks to steal mobile devices, wallets, camping equipment and high value production assets. How can organisers create an anti-theft strategy to prevent these theft networks from penetrating their festival sites.

The Operation of Organised Theft Networks.
Like any organised crime, theft networks operate as teams with each member having a clearly defined role. They will target specific festivals that have weak security systems in place and purchase genuine tickets often with a fake ID to help hide their real identity. Each team will typically consist of spotters, pickpockets, runners, drivers, and fence operators. This ensures that any items stolen are quickly removed from the festival site and turned into cash which prevents victims from ever recovering items. A successful theft network will often target multiple festivals every year, selecting those with large numbers of festival-goers and lax security measures.

What Theft Networks Target.
Probably the most stolen items will be mobile devices which festival-goers often just keep in their back pockets; they have a high value and are small enough to conceal once stolen. Thieves also prowl around campsites and car parks looking for valuable unattended items which can include cameras, power banks, portable speakers and other electronic equipment. Expert pickpockets target wallets, credit cards and RFID wristbands which are easily stolen in large crowds. The more ambitious and professional theft networks also target backstage areas by obtaining (stealing) passes that let them through access control. This is where high value portable production equipment is stored like audio mixers, laptops, production radios, and camera equipment. In some cases, thieves also target artists' personal property and merchandise stock that is kept backstage. Some organisers rely on robust access control systems to prevent unauthorised access; it is therefore not unusual for equipment kept backstage to be left unattended, making them easy pickings for thieves.

Pre-event Detection.
Festival organisers should try and gather information and intelligence about theft networks who may be targeting their event well before the festival opens. This requires coordination with the police who sometimes have knowledge of networks likely to be operating at certain events. Organisers should also analyse previous incident records to help identify repeat offenders and any trending patterns, for example. A large festival will often have a dedicated police liaison officer who can help with joint intelligence briefings and share any relevant CCTV footage. If any thieves are detained, organisers should ensure that they quickly provide any evidence they have to the police to ensure that thieves can be processed successfully.

Real Time Detection.
During the planning phase of a festival, it's essential that staff and volunteers are trained to spot the warning signs of theft during the event. This can include observing people who move quickly through crowds without watching performances and who avoid staying in one place for long. Other common traits of suspicious activity can include those carrying unusually large empty bags who leave areas quickly once a performance ends and, who generally have no interest in the performances taking place on stages. With mobile devices being the most common items stolen, staff should identify high risk locations where repeated incidents happen and are reported withing a few minutes. The most frequent incidents occur in specific locations and should get extra attention from staff. These include any queues (entries, exits, vendors and toilets), large crowds near main stages and campsites after dark.

Security Measures.
Festival organisers should plan an effective strategy that combines visible deterrence, covert detection, informed festival-goers and coordinated intelligence sharing. Where theft networks are suspected of targeting an event organisers can employ plain clothes security teams who are better equipped to detect theft, uniformed security generally only act as a deterrence. Plain clothes security teams can mix with festival-goers in crowds and queues monitoring suspects and recording any suspicious behaviour. If an incident occurs, they can make a discreet apprehension of suspects without impacting normal festival-goer activities. In addition to security teams, organisers can install CCTV for coverage throughout the entire site. The analytics of modern CCTV systems enables both identification of crowd safety issues as well as suspicious loitering detection, perimeter breaches and bag abandonment for example. Most organisers also run awareness campaigns for festival-goers to ensure they look after their property and take precautions to protect themselves. In addition, organisers usually set up an incident reporting process for victims to report theft quickly and efficiently.

For festival organisers planning their next event using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

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