Police are reminding the Deniliquin community and its visitors to stay safe ahead of this weekend's Deniliquin Ute Muster.
As thousands of people descend on the festival, now in its 21st year, a high-visibility police operation will be in place targeting rural road trauma and public order.
Operation Deniliquin Ute Muster 2019 commences this Thursday (3 October 2019) and runs until Sunday (6 October 2019). The operation involves officers from Murray River Police District, the NSW Police Dog Unit, the Public Order Riot Squad (PORS), Operations Support Group (OSG) and other specialist command support.
Murray River Police District Commander, Acting Superintendent Owen Hill, said police will be out and about to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time.
"Our priority for this event is to ensure everyone arrives safely, has a great time and leaves without incident," Acting Superintendent Hill said.
"We're not out there to ruin anyone's fun, however, we will not tolerate any behaviour that puts others at risk.
"As with previous years, we have been working closely with the organisers to ensure the event is held in the safest possible environment. We want every single person attending to enjoy the event and have a safe time.
"We will be utilising police resources from across the state to address a range of issues, including rural road safety, drug supply and use, anti-social behaviour and licensing."
Additional officers from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command will be deployed to ensure everyone gets to and from the event safely.
"We want the Ute Muster to be an incident-free event, and that includes a strong focus on our roads and reducing rural road trauma," Acting Superintendent Hill said.
"Police will be out in force targeting speeding, drink-and-drug-driving and other dangerous driver behaviour.
"Anyone who chooses not to comply with the law not only compromises their own safety, but the safety of those around them, and it simply won't be tolerated."
The Deniliquin Ute Muster officially kicks off this Friday (4 October 2019) and runs over two days.
With camping the preferred accommodation option for festival-goers; police offer the following safety and security tips:
• Plan your trip in advance and if possible, make a booking;
• Get to know your surrounding campers;
• In large crowds, be mindful of your own safety and security as well as that of people around you;
• Leave valuables at home – if you must take valuables with you, ensure they are secured and kept out of sight;
• Lock your caravan or campervan when unattended;
• Where possible, use a lock to secure your tent or swag;
• Where possible, use a portable alarm in your tent or camper;
• Plan for changes in weather conditions;
• Ensure valuables are not left in unattended vehicles;
• Report any suspicious behaviour to police.
For comprehensive event details, visit the official festival website: www.deniutemuster.com.au
Traffic information can be found at: www.livetraffic.com.
