Bad day out for police officer

Inspector Steve Post said the youth, who was under 18, was alleged to have bitten an officer while being arrested early in the evening.

‘That officer received medical treatment and has to have ongoing tests to ensure he hasn’t contracted any blood-borne viruses,’ he said.

He said the alleged biting incident was the only major issue of the day.

He highlighted the sniffer dog team’s effort at Joondalup train station, which resulted in a number of drug possession and intent to sell or supply charges.

Police were preparing for a flood of people to the festival after 6pm, with tickets reduced to $100 for punters keen to see headliner Pearl Jam.

But the discount made little difference. ‘They (the organisers) reckoned they were only going to get 100 extra people,’ Insp Post said.

‘I thought we’d have a flood, but the people actually started leaving about 6pm ” the young ones who don’t even know who Pearl Jam are just started leaving.’

Insp Post also headed up the Future Music Festival operation last year and said the Big Day Out crowd was ‘marginally better’, but similar in terms of police issues.

He bemoaned the regular attempts by fence jumpers, which kept police and security guards busy.

Police are now in preparation for this year’s Future Music Festival at Arena Joondalup on Sunday, March 2.