After a two-year hiatus, the Royal Adelaide Show kicks off tomorrow bringing delight to the more than 400,000 people expected to attend. SA Police (SAPOL) is prepared for nine days of fairground fun as families flock to the Royal Adelaide Show from Saturday 3 September – Sunday 11 September.
SAPOL will deploy uniformed and unmarked patrols, police dogs, horses, bicycle patrols and Public Transport Safety Branch members to monitor crowd behaviour. This will ensure people at the event and those travelling to it are keeping safe.
Chief Inspector Peter Duance, from Eastern District and Police Commander for the Royal Adelaide Show, said that a key focus will be safety, preventing theft, reuniting lost children and road safety and that SAPOL is well equipped to monitor the event.
"SAPOL has been working very closely with the organisers of the Royal Adelaide Show and other emergency services for some time now and will be ready if assistance is required," said Chief Inspector Duance.
SAPOL reminds the public of the following:
- Be aware and abide by the reduced speed zones in place around the Showground.
- Be aware of crowds of young children who may move unpredictably along footpaths and roads.
- Pay close attention to your property including wallets and phones. Purchases such as show bags that are left unattended can be a quick grab by opportunistic thieves.
- Public transport provides a safe option for those thinking about drinking at the Show. Visit the Adelaide Metro website to find out more about special public transport services to the Show.
- If parking in the area, make sure your vehicles are secure and valuables are hidden from sight.
- Plan your experience in advance- arrange collection points if leaving family members at the Show and have arrangements in place if attendees become separated from others in their group.
Report any suspicious behaviour to 131 444.
With huge crowd numbers, SAPOL are urging parents and caregivers to be vigilant with looking after children. 'If I'm lost' wristbands will be available at the Show so please utilise these and take a photo of your child/ren on the day so that an accurate description of the clothing they are wearing can be provided to police as this assists greatly with reuniting families.
The wristbands can be collected from all Show Kiosks, Show Police Station, Bank SA Farmyard Nursery and the Royal Adelaide Show office. A parent or guardian's phone number should be written on the wristband before putting them on. If the worst does happen and you and your child/ren get separated, this will help us quickly reunite your family.
"Introduce your child to a police officer by visiting the SAPOL Corporate Display at the Jubilee Pavilion and make sure they know to approach a police officer if they are lost or feel unsafe," Chief Inspector Duance said.
Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society Chief Executive, John Rothwell says the Royal Adelaide Show is a time where family and friends get together for a great day out.
"We are extremely pleased to be able to present a Royal Show after two years of no Show and expect attendance to be high. We encourage the public to pre-purchase their Show tickets and to consider weekday attendance where the cost of entry is discounted and attendance is historically lower," Mr Rothwell said.
"The Society has a strong commitment to safety in general and encourages all patrons to be aware and alert of their surrounds."
The Show Police Station is in the North Western grandstand and event attendees are welcome to attend if they need assistance from a police officer. Lost children or lost vulnerable adults can be taken here.
SAPOL will also have their very popular corporate display in place in the Jubilee Pavilion across two sites (F40 and H40), close to the food court. There will be a wide variety of information and resources available at the SAPOL corporate display and friendly faces for people to speak to with their questions. There will also be free giveaways. The SAPOL corporate display will feature the following:
- Recruitment – Sunday to Thursday: 9:00am – 8:00pm. Friday & Saturday 9:00am-9:00pm.
- Crime Stoppers SA - During the day on 5 & 6 September.
- Cybercrime –Sunday to Thursday: 9:00am – 8:00pm. Friday & Saturday: 9:00am-9:00pm.
- Community Engagement –Sunday to Thursday: 9:00am – 8:00pm. Friday & Saturday: 9:00am-9:00pm.
- Road safety – Sunday to Thursday: 9:00am – 8:00pm. Friday & Saturday: 9:00am-9:00pm.
The SAPOL corporate display will also feature the opportunity for visitors to have their photo taken on a Police BMW motorbike or in a photo booth and to try out the virtual reality experience – Beware what you Share to encourage those above the age of seven to make smarter choices online. There will also be visits by Jeff the Road Safety Dog.
There will be regular performances by the Band of the South Australia Police. These performances will be as follows:
- Parade starting from Goodwood Road Gates to the Show museum beginning at 12.30pm daily.
- School Beat Band on Bank SA stage from 11:00am to 11.30am daily.
- Jazz Band Bank SA stage from 4:00pm to 4.45pm daily.
In addition to the above, the Police Officer of the Year will be announced at 11:25am on 9 September on the Bank SA stage.
