There has been a follow up in the local Christchurch paper "The Press"to the drunken antics over the weekend but in the editorial you get the feeling that the writer has no idea of what security or the police face at these events.
In that the police may have done themselves & the security industry a disservice over the years by playing down previouis incidents.
Young Offenders and Alcohol Related Crime: A Practitioner's Guidebook (Wiley Series in Clinical Approaches to Criminal Behaviour)
And previous incidents there have been plenty of.
At times there have been on the edges of events at Hagley park hundreds of drunk teenagers drinking & fighting. Often with not enough security available to have an impact on it. It is security that should be the first line in dealing with this but the touchy feely way it is approached now means it is not dealt with.
That makes the police job harder.
But it is not just at the park that issues arise.
On one occassion having been tasked with security of an area nearby to Hagley park I was a bit surprised at the end of the same event as this weekend when the area was flooded with over 200 young teenagers drinking, swearing & intent on mayhem. They were moved on but not before a drunk 12 year old tried to staunch me out. Didn't work but I see it is hasn't changed as a 14 year old tried it on someone the other day.
Extending the liquor ban permanently into the area of Hagley park is a great idea but it won't stop the teens drinking. That needs first & foremost education to change the Kiwi mindset on alcohol. Also greater effort on the part of Police, Security but most of all the community to stop this in its tracks.
Alcohol, illegal drugs, violent crime, and traffic-related and other unintended injuries in U.S. local and national news *.: An article from: Journal of Studies on Alcohol
On the occassion where the large group came into area I was carrying out security initially most moved to school next door & police were informed as there was nothing I could do. But a hard core thought they would remain in my area. They were told that once police had finished at the park they were coming through with the dogs.
This was to have amusing repercussions.
The teenagers all moved to the school then off again when community watch then a police patrol showed up.
Shortly after drunk Univeristy students were in the area setting off train alarms then trying to steal vehicles. The police were called again, but the unit dispatched was a dog unit. It encountered groups of teens standing on corners of local streets who sprinted off on seeing the dog unit.
Guidance for local partnerships on alcohol-related crime and disorder data
Whilst they stand on those corners though the teenagers or older groups use properties as toilets, smash bottles & if they are approached by householders instead of as in the past & running they are just as likely to attack the person.
Why can't the police get back on top of out of control crime? Well more often than not they are dealing with out of control drunk young people. It just doesn't happen in Christchurch either!
Academic's take note!
http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz
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