Police put Bluetooth to work at Donnington Festival

The police and the local Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) are using Bluetooth and texting to get crime prevention and sensible drinking messages through at this year's Download music festival at Donnington, Leicestershire.

Workers from the Drug Intervention Programme will be walking around Donington Park using four portable Bluetooth boxes, each with the capability of sending quick-fire messages to mobile phones within a 25m radius. They will be working in a shift pattern from 10am until 2am on each day of the festival.

People with Bluetooth mobiles will receive an alert asking them if they want to receive a message. If they accept, they get an animated message containing information on a range of topics, including crime prevention and advice on alcohol and drug use. The messages cost nothng to send or receive.

The Download Music Festival runs from Friday 13 June 2008 to Sunday 15 June 2008, and is expected to attract up to 135,000 people, 40,000 of whom will be staying at the on-site camp sites. Last year, crime on the site increased by 58% from 203 offences in 2006 to 322. 147 offences, or 46% of all crime committed during the festival, involved theft from tents

The police have also re-launched their text and email service this year ,aimed at gathering crime prevention information from people coming to Donington.  The system is designed to encourage festival-goers to provide police with information about crime related matters in advance of the event. There will also be team of Drug and Alcohol Advice workers on site to provide specialist advice on substance misuse and harm reduction to anyone who requires support during the event.