Senior police figures say enforcement priorities are changing, moving away from a model of large police presence and drug-dog checks at music festivals. Multiple outlets report that a “gauntlet” approach—described as police lined up with drug detection dogs—no longer represents the intended strategy. Instead, police will assign more officers to transport hubs, particularly train stations.
The stated goal is to target the supply chain for illicit drugs rather than concentrating mainly on possession during festival events. By focusing on locations where people move in and out of major areas, police aim to disrupt distribution before drugs reach entertainment venues.
All three reports describe the same overall direction: increased police deployment at train stations and a corresponding reduction in emphasis on festival-era detection operations. The coverage does not provide detailed figures, timelines, or specific operational metrics, but it consistently frames the change as a strategic shift toward intercepting supply rather than primarily identifying possession at large public events.
