What ever it cost it is a lot of money when there are real criminals out there that need to be dealt with

3 million is an overexaggeration, but (having worked in public sector finance including a govt department which has its own inspection force) I reckon it could have been a few hundred thousand, at least the cost of a decent house in East Anglia.

This cost may be split across 5 forces though rather than just Essex as the Govt will argue that the people there committing the “crime” mostly came from all 5 surrounding counties.

I also think that this was a planned operation for the entire East of England due to public outcry that raves were still happening when the law was supposed to have stopped them in 1994! Some forces outside Essex would have supplied brains (in the form of intelligence etc) as well as muscle.

However there are too many “normal middle englanders” who will say its “money well spent” because they hate “young people” (often their own children!) to such an extent they wholly approve of such measures being used to stop their social activities.

Bear in mind also there are more cops and even more people our age joining the force (who would not normally have done so, but who may feel more angry towards ravers out of spite/jealousy) since the terrorism scares.

Today even if every force lends 60 cops to Essex it doesn’t make too much of a dent in available resources so its not the case that grannies in Colchester are being burgled any more than they usually are.

Cops can always builk out TSG units with specials as well provided they have been trained (many of whom are from the local areas and would clearly side with landowners/farmers)

I think those of us who are not from ethnic minorities will have to realise ravers are now going to be subject to the same level of control and monitoring as young people from certain minorities/religions.