A recent increase in groups of people as young as 13 intent on trouble in central Dunedin has members of the public and the police concerned.
In the past 10 days there have been several incidents in George St, including one altercation between a group of Otago University students and a group of youths, in which a 21-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man had their noses broken.
The man was taken to hospital after he was punched to the ground and kicked unconscious by a 16-year-old.
Later the same night, two 18-year-olds were arrested for fighting at the same place.
On Wednesday, three men were arrested for fighting after a brawl outside McDonald's food outlet and on Thursday an intoxicated 16-year-old girl was arrested outside Timezone further along George St and police took an intoxicated 15-year-old home after she vomited in the McDonald's toilets.
Those were only some of the incidents police dealt with, and last week they said what was reported to them was most probably only "the tip of the iceberg".
Dunedin's frontline policing manager Inspector Alistair Dickie said police were concerned, too, about the ages of those gathering in George St.
He accompanied a night patrol at the weekend and observed people as young as 13 among groups in George St between 11pm and 3am.
Over that shift, officers took three people aged between 13 and 15 home; arrested two people, one aged 16, for possession of cannabis; arrested an 18-year-old for breaching the liquor ban and moved on a group of young gang associates from Albion Lane behind McDonald's.
The father of one of the people injured in the fracas with the students the previous weekend contacted the Otago Daily Times to express his concern.
He said his daughter and her friends believed most of the group of youths they encountered appeared to be aged between 14 and 16.
"Obviously, I am an angry parent, but what are 14- and 16-year-olds doing out that late at night? Aside from the obvious safety concerns, this is an issue for the whole community."
His 21-year-old daughter, who did not want to be named, said she and her friends were out on November 14 celebrating the end of their studies.
All but one of them were due to leave the city for good the next day.
They were walking along George St to the Octagon about 2.30am when they passed the group of young people outside McDonald's when the incident occurred.
A 16-year-old youth was arrested for assaulting the man and has since admitted the charge.
He has been ordered to take part in a family group conference.
"[What happened is] absolutely shocking. We just want other people to be aware that this could happen to them," the woman said.
Insp Dickie said trouble on the streets often increased as the weather grew warmer and more people stayed out later.
Every December and January police posted extra staff in the area on foot patrols until 5am.
City Safety Officers also did a good job working to prevent trouble from breaking out.
After observing what was happening on George St he intended to speak with the Dunedin City Council and McDonald's about what might improve the situation.
He acknowledged McDonald's security staff could not legally move people on from a public place such as a footpath, but he hoped they might be able to work closer to the doors and would ring police if they noticed groups gathering.
Restaurant owner Paul Steiner said the company had installed CCTV cameras pointing out into the street at both entrances to the restaurant and had lit up the George St entrance to deter loiterers.
It had set up classical music in the lane behind the restaurant to deter loitering there.
His staff often called police about disturbances and supplied CCTV footage on request.
Insp Dickie agreed that parents needed to take responsibility for their children's whereabouts.
If officers took children home, they tried to speak with the parents, but some were not interested.
Sometimes, when police brought the children home, the parents were more annoyed about the interruption to their own night, he said.
Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin said the trend of young people hanging out on the street was noticeable all over the country.
Councils tried to do everything they could to make the streets safer, but the responsibility for young people's actions was shared.
". . . it really comes right back to the family unit," Mr Chin said.
He noted the council was trying to get funding to make up the shortfall for a trial of CCTV cameras in the Octagon.
It had been a long process, but he hoped the trial would get under way early next year.
Links:
[1] mailto:debbie.porteous@odt.co.nz