It’s NO ‘accident’!
July 16, 2012 at 7:34 am | Posted in Security | 2 CommentsTags: accident, alcohol, car, crash, death, drinking, duty of care, event, injury, kid, legislation, Naomi Oakley, party, Party Plan Checklist, prevention, safe parties, teen, teenage, teenager, tragedy, U-NOME Security, youth
Youth + Intoxication = Disaster.
In my view, an accident is something you have no control over.
If, for instance:
- you’re driving a car;
- a large spider drops on you from behind the sun visor and
- you crash into a tree,
that’s an accident.
If, on the other hand:
- you’re rushing and driving at speed;
- you tailgate the car in front of you and
- you rear-end them when they brake,
that’s no accident.
That’s plain carelessness.
Media scrum
Sadly, the tragedies listed below were no accident.
Had proper planning been in place, these teen celebrations would have been spared the associated injury and death:
- Five young men killed in high speed crash.
- Young girl killed and four injured in smash.
- Dead girl’s friends claim drink was spiked with ecstasy.
- Man stabbed in chest after house party.
- Man who died after king hit ‘wanted a fight’.
- One dead and three injured in car ‘accident’.
When is enough enough?!
To protect our children from serious injury and death, parents wanting to hold a teen event must:
- Apply for a party permit.
- Have a proper party plan in place.
- Discharge their duty of care to guests and the community before, during and after the event.
But until we introduce legislation to ensure parents do these things, we’re doomed to witness yet more carnage.
Parents must realise it isn’t just about their child’s celebration. Failing to plan an event can all-too-easily lead to the planning of funerals.
As a parent of a teenager myself, I beg you to act responsibly and support my positive proposal for change.
Unless, of course, your child’s happiness and welfare mean nothing to you.
In which case our society is surely lost.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
Death never takes a holiday
November 2, 2011 at 10:57 pm | Posted in Security | Leave a commentTags: accident, alcohol, crash, crowd control, death, drinking, duty of care, event, injury, kid, Naomi Oakley, parent, prevention, safe parties, security, teen, teenage, teenager, tragedy, U-NOME Security
Careful party planning can stop this unwanted guest.
Yet more teenagers died this week.
Seven teens left a Halloween Party in a stolen car and came to grief.
Just 24 hours prior to this, a teenage girl left a party, opted not to get picked up by her parent and got into a boy’s car instead.
Now she’s dead too.
Incredibly, it seems people have forgotten the January 2010 tragedy where five kids died in a vehicle that left a party.
Alcohol was a factor in all these ‘accidents’.
But let’s rewind.
I’ve always believed that if you have adequate safety and security measures at a party, you can prevent tragedy.
You must manage all alcohol at an event, even if it’s BYO.
A host’s duty of care can also extend beyond the event.
Parents organising a party should take reasonable steps to establish how their teenage guests are getting home.
Even if these kids walk out of a party, the question must be asked.
At the very least, doing this may get kids thinking.
You may be able to persuade them take a taxi or wait for parents to collect them.
Managing all aspects of a teen party is extremely important.
If parents don’t have the skills and resources to manage a party properly, they should think about having professional crowd control to monitor and assist them.
By covering every base, we ensure the next teen party doesn’t end in tears.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
Picture This!
August 17, 2010 at 7:50 am | Posted in Security | Leave a commentTags: camera, crash, crowd control, event, Launch Helmet Cams, legislation, Naomi Oakley begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, police, safe parties, security, teen, thug, U-NOME Security, violence, youth
Smile ...
Gotcha!
Any gatecrashers who try to wreck the next party I protect are in for a nasty shock.
Thanks to Launch Helmut Cams, I’ll be wearing a state-of-the-art camera that thugs won’t spot till it’s too late.
I’ll use this camera for personal protection, and to show our community what my staff and I endure every week.
The camera will capture and expose gatecrashers, violence and other unacceptable events that happen on my watch.
And you can believe I won’t be bothering with talent releases!
Rather, it’ll be name-and-shame footage that police and media will be happy to receive.
Kids love celebrity.
But not when their parents see the havoc they’ve been wreaking.
Once we perfect our method, I’ll give all my crew this gear – for use at private and public events.
Security staff aren’t armed. Nor is there any legal or fiscal deterrent for gatecrashers.
We must therefore rely on negotiation and mediation, which sometimes just isn’t enough.
I refuse to be a victim just to prove a point.
And I won’t let my staff be harmed in the line of duty.
I believe that exposing the crimes of serial offenders to the public will be a deterrent.
I hope bureaucrats also take note and comprehend what it’s really like out there after dark.
Say cheese! 
Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists.
Gang Show
August 16, 2010 at 3:59 am | Posted in Security | 1 CommentTags: by-law, crash, crowd control, death, event, fine, gang, kid, knife, legislation, Naomi Oakley, party, Party Plan Checklist, police, safe parties, security, teen, teenage, teenager, trespass, U-NOME Security, venue, violence, youth
Like some new kids on YOUR block?
Last week I ran a security crew at a family home in a nice suburb.
It was a 14th birthday party with no alcohol.
At 10.30 pm, 20 gatecrashers (aged 15-18) turned up and tried scaling the fences to get in.
My staff chased, stopped and removed them – whereupon they fled down a side street.
Fifty minutes later, they returned: intoxicated, abusive, threatening (and another ten strong).
Hands in pockets, some intimated they were carrying weapons.
One said another carload of thugs was on its way.
They positioned themselves directly across the road from the party and started texting associates.
Once again, my staff did well to negotiate with and remove them.
They kept the party secure, but also called police to be on the safe side.
By the time they arrived, the group had dispersed to a railway station.
Some teenage guests at the party wanted to leave, as they feared the gang would injure or kill them.
My staff managed to assure them they were safe, but you can imagine the mood of what should’ve been a happy event.
It was extremely lucky we’d run a prior safety check on the home, as this had flagged its weak points.
This gang has a history of wrecking events.
Why they’d crash a kid’s party with no alcohol is beyond me.
Nor can I fathom where their parents think they are.
When I speak with teens who live in the area, they agree. It’s well known these fools target parties solely to cause problems.
I’ve no doubt this gang will strike again.
I believe councils must put these kids on notice and create a by-law and fine.
The current offence of Trespass is too weak, which is why it’s seldom used.
Creating the offence of Gatecrasher would provide a deterrent that we greatly need but sorely lack.
Having fines to penalise these troublemakers would help keep guests, my staff (and maybe you and your loved ones) safe.
See my proposal to learn more.
Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists.
Tragic Loss Prevention
January 18, 2010 at 7:39 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: accident, car, cell phone, crash, crowd control, death, event, legislation, loss, mobile phone, Naomi Oakley, nightmare, parent, party, prevention, safe parties, security, speed, teenager, tragedy, U-NOME Security, youth
A tragedy that could have been prevented. Photo by redheat.
On hearing of last weekend’s horrific car crash, I was as shocked as the rest of our community.
I did some checking and learned the kids were coming home from a private party, close to the crash scene.
Also confirmed was the information I dreaded: these kids were fleeing gate crashers who’d arrived at the house and were trying to get into the car.
Some of the victims had actually organised a lift beforehand, but it ‘fell through’.
For parents of teenagers, this is our worst nightmare.
Had professional crowd controllers been at the house, they may have been able to calm the situation.
First, the gatecrashers wouldn’t have got near the party. My expert security staff know how to spot and handle intruders in and around an event.
This means observing the area, detecting gatecrashers and removing them quickly.
Speed is vital, to avoid both confrontation and escalation. Thanks to mobile (cell) phones, 10 gatecrashers can swell to 40 in just 20 minutes.
Second, alternative transport could have been organised. Not only could these kids have waited safely with my team, we could’ve got them home safely too.
What an absolute tragedy!
We must develop legislation for safe parties to curb street violence and prevent more needless deaths.
I’m working hard to make this happen right now.
If you feel the same, subscribe to this blog for updates on my recent submission to the Victorian Government.
Naomi Oakley, Managing Director, U-NOME Security Communication Specialists.
Naomi Oakley
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