Alexandra police spent about three hours on Saturday night dealing with an out-of-control party in the town which attracted up to 80 teenagers, "full of booze and bravado", who turned a quiet street into a "bomb site," Senior Constable Mike Colligan said.
"At the end of the day, we're not
babysitters. It's just crazy to spend two to three hours dealing with one party when we're supposed to be looking after the whole town," Mr Colligan said yesterday.
One neighbour said she would have appreciated being informed about the Ventry St party in advance but the young people involved were not "bad kids - just kids being kids".
There was no adult supervision at the party and Mr Colligan said partygoers damaged neighbours' gardens, broke bottles in the Alexandra School grounds and on the street and footpaths, and damaged a street sign.
No arrests were made but a 14-year-old Alexandra boy would be referred to the Youth Aid section after he urinated on a fence and allegedly attempted to hit a police officer.
The 17-year-old girl who hosted the party said gatecrashers were responsible for most of the damage and broken bottles.
The girl said the gatecrashers were young teenagers but she would not describe the party as "out of control - that's crazy".
"We might have been a bit loud, but we certainly weren't causing a riot or anything."
A group of partygoers were out "bright and early" yesterday morning cleaning up the broken bottles and sweeping away the broken glass, she said.
Mr Colligan said that "to their credit" the group had cleaned up the mess in the morning but on Saturday night it had looked like a "bomb site".
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
