Crackdown in central city
01 March 2004
By LEA STEWART

An alarming increase in drunken disorder in central Dunedin at the weekend prompted a tough response from police, resulting in 56 arrests.


Alcohol was a factor in all the arrests, which were for offences including minor assaults – including two on police – liquor-ban breaches, urinating in shop doorways and general disorder.

"We find by arresting people for the more minor offences we are, on many occasions, preventing something more serious happening later in the evening," Senior Sergeant Allan Grindell said.

Of major concern to police was that more than half the offenders were aged between 14 and 18.

"It would be fair to say all of these teenagers have been drinking. Part of the problem is that alcohol is relatively easy for kids to get these days. They have friends who supply it, older siblings supplying it, or what is the biggest worry is that some parents actually buy it for them."

Violent assaults and disorder have been increasing in inner Dunedin during the past six weeks. Last week, Inspector Don Boyd said he feared it would only be a matter of time before someone was killed.

There had been 345 reported assault or disorder incidents in George St, between Frederick St and the Octagon, in the past six months, he said, describing that figure as "the tip of the iceberg".

While a co-ordinated response to the problem is due to begin on Thursday – in the form of the biannual Project Safer Streets campaign, in which police will hit the beat en masse – the weekend crackdown was the initiative of front-line police.

"This was what would you would call pro-active policing. The police officers on the street have seen what's happening and responded to it."

In one incident, a police officer was punched in the face as he sat in his patrol car early yesterday.

"There seems to be no real reason for that happening. This guy has just walked up to the patrol car, grabbed the constable through the window and punched him."

The police officer suffered minor injuries. A 21-year-old man was arrested and is due to appear in the Dunedin District Court on Thursday.

An 18-year-old man was arrested at 2.10am yesterday after allegedly pulling a knife on a group of people. He was chased and apprehended by his victims.

A man in his early 20s was one of many who spent time sobering up in the police cells during the weekend. He was picked up by police in a heavily intoxicated state after lying on, and in front of, cars at the north end of George St early on Saturday evening.

"Disorder is certainly becoming an issue again in the Dunedin City and we will be responding to it," Snr Sgt Grindell said.

"These are not students or visitors causing the problems. It's young Dunedin people and if they want to act like this they will have to be prepared to be arrested."