The hangovers are beginning to settle in for festival goers who took in Country Thunder 2019 in Craven.
RCMP said while it was a busy and eventful weekend for their members, this year was a “relatively smooth and pleasant Country Thunder experience”.
160 calls were handled by RCMP throughout the four-day event. From those calls, 27 charges were laid (21 involved adults, 6 with youth), and 46 people were taken into custody, which was a bit higher than previous years according to police.
The majority of calls and charges were alcohol-related.
Staff Sergeant Devin Pugh said they didn’t receive many reports regarding crimes against people which was a positive.
“We didn’t have a whole lot of incidents of assault or any sexual assaults that were reported to us,” said Pugh speaking to media on Monday in Craven. “Those offences are of concern at these kind of events.”
A large amount of traffic tickets were given to drivers throughout the event, both on and off the grounds.
Police issued 307 traffic tickets and 432 warnings in total. There were 81 vehicle inspection tickets, four roadside suspensions, and officers were able to locate six people who were wanted on outstanding warrants.
Drinking and driving remained a problem such as in the past. Five people (three on-site, two off-site) were charged with impaired driving.
“Unfortunately it’s always a concern. One is too many,” stated Pugh. “It’s disappointing because there’s lots of rides available. We’ve seen that number be consistent.”
Pugh added how RCMP never received any complaints or heard of issues regarding cannabis use in public spaces during the weekend.
Of course, one of the “highlights” from this year’s edition of Country Thunder circled around the two storms that struck the valley between Saturday and Sunday.
Travis Tritt’s Saturday evening performance ended prematurely due to lightning. Tim McGraw was scheduled to end Saturday night but Mother Nature decided to cancel his show altogether due to rain, strong winds and even some hail.
While it took a lot of organization from police, security and festival volunteers to find shelter for the crowd, Pugh said the co-operation from the public was paramount.
“It was a trying time for a lot of people trying to get on buses. But I’m pleased to say a lot of people pulled together in a time of need here; it was nice to see.”
Clean up efforts will be ongoing for the next while. The downpour from Sunday’s storm has left the festival area in wet and muddy conditions.
RCMP are asking everyone to be patient and cautious while trying to make their exit.
