Safety at the Oktoberfest in Blumenau is one of the most important factors of the party. As a result, a number of actions will be taken to ensure a peaceful and safe event for everyone.

Check out the security measures at the 38th Oktoberfest in Blumenau – Photo: Disclosure/Military Police/ND

The 38th edition will take place from 4 to 22 October at Parque Vila Germânica. The celebration will last 19 days with a rich program.

The Safety Commission aims to further reduce the number of criminal incidents during the festival. Activities include facial recognition, a bus being used as a military police base, escorting visitors, and others.

Preparations for the premiere began three months earlier

Lieutenant Vitoria Malassise said preparations for Oktoberfest security began in the military police battalion, and the schedule and scope of events had been drawn up since June.

The corporation will work with four situations that will receive more attention during the traditional German festival. One of the main incidents is the theft of cell phones.

Vitoria urges visitors to be careful with their devices, as gangs specializing in this type of crime usually attend large events like those in Blumenau.

It is also recommended to be careful with sellers outside the event, so as not to buy counterfeit tickets, for example.

Sexual harassment is also one of the crimes that must be reported to the police. “No, that’s not true, and there is no more room for this stolen kiss and holding hands,” the lieutenant emphasized.

The fourth situation is driving in combination with drinking alcohol.

“We know this is a drinking party, so we advise the public to plan using taxis, transport apps and rideshares to save lives as road traffic is everyone’s responsibility,” he explains.

Military police will provide security for the 38th Oktoberfest in Blumenau – Photo: Rota da Gastronomia Alemã/Disclosure

The number of cases is trending downward

Vitória emphasizes that the number of cases is trending ever lower. In 2022, the corporation identified gangs and criminals coming into the state and made arrests at the start of the party.

“It made people see that work is different in Santa Catarina, we had such a decline and we hope these numbers will continue to decline,” he comments.

During Oktoberfest, the bus will be used as a mobile base for military police outside the event where people can call for assistance.

Drug trafficking is another point emphasized by the lieutenant. “Last year, some people were caught using these products. However, we have a police report procedure in which the person must sign a detailed statement and always remember that this is a family place.”

In 2022, more than 630 thousand people attended Oktoberfest.

The president of this year’s safety committee, Alexander Fernandez, commented that more than 630 thousand people attended Oktoberfest in 2022, and this number is expected to increase this year.

Therefore, security measures are an important factor in ensuring a safe place for everyone.

“It is a big challenge for us to work very firmly and together to maintain this role and status as the safest party in Brazil. We are ready on all fronts, in all corporations and all people involved in this security project every day,” he stressed.

Alexander also emphasized the importance of using technology to ensure the safety of visitors and mentioned facial verification to detect criminal situations.

“When we talk about the security problem with crime, monitoring and security forces in the internal work in Vila Germanica, we talk about technology, it brings more peace of mind to identify possible problems. There is no time for problems and no time for those who want to bring complications to the event, this is a family holiday and a holiday for everyone,” he emphasized.